RSL 1984
Some kissed the girls, I kissed the floor
The Bover boys with their boots shiny red
Three dollar champagne stirring my head
We rolled out the barrels, boys
We sang with a single voice

Let all tears turn to gold
And all the hell I’ve raised
Lord, let it fade away
As Your glories unfold
Give me a part to play
Grant me another day
The surf and the sky and the Sunshine Coast of gold
Floating on a longboard, life on hold
I never know the way, but you always take me there
And I need it now, like the Mooloolaba air
We’ll roll with the next wave, boys
We’ll sing out, we’ll make some noise

Red dust rises
Clouds your every thought
You don’t know you’re deceived until you’re not
Good dog, bad dog - they get to fightin’ in your head
The winner is the last one gettin’ fed

God is alive and my magic is no good
And He’s called me out on this walkabout
He leads me to water and traces each song line
And I know to know His ways are higher than mine
So roll out the road rig, boys
We’ll sing with a grateful voice

Let all tears turn to gold
And the hell that’s raised
Lord, let it fade away
As Your glories unfold
Give us a part to play
Grant us another day


(Peter Furler, Steve Taylor)

Behind the Song:
"I started writing this song 9 or 10 years ago, and everyone pressed me to finally put it on an album. The song is about growing up in Australia without having much vision of the future, but not having much restraint either. There are references to surfing and the Bover Boys, who were a local skinhead gang who'd beat you up for wearing the wrong colored shoes. The song reflects my perspective as a pastor's kid wondering where my life was headed. The song uses an aboriginal term, "walkabout," which is a rite of passage that sends a boy into the land to survive by himself. There's also "songlines," which are the ancestral songs that connect each new generation to the one before it. "RSL 1984" is about leaving our homes and taking our songs out into the world." - Peter Furler (Newsboys)