From the recording UN-United Nations BLUE
In the days of the £10 Poms many families emigrated to Australia. It had opportunities, work and sun.
My family, while not strictly £10 Poms (especially as they were Scottish and the term Pom refers to English) they certainly went in search of a better life after the war. So when Australian born Joe Matera sent me a guitar tune to work on, I thought it would be nice to explore our heritage, as his family hailed from Italy, with a similar story.
At this point this was not really to be a Korgis song but perhaps an Al Steele/Joe Matera solo release.
I began writing it while on holiday with my younger half of the family - usually working it out when the others had gone to sleep and playing the fruits of my labours in the morning. It was apparent that this was a story about multiple family members, so my daughter Lorna suggested we make it a family Christmas project. Leah and Ceri agreed after many positive encouraging noises from Lorna and myself!
So in the Christmas period in 2022, Ceri added to the chorus (set back in the UK) and Lorna, Leah and myself filled in the verses.
It sounded great so I put it up on The Korgis group chat and everyone loved it. I asked whether perhaps John and James families may want to pitch in and everyone seemed to like that idea. The actual recording went better than we could have imagined and all of a sudden it became a Korgis song, with Joe Matera, Danielle Nicholls, Paul Smith and Elaine Gilmore getting in on the chorus'.
The stories are all true, but not necessarily chronologically accurate!
Lyrics
Joe Matera/Al Steele
We're both sending our love to you
We're mailing a parcel too
Things we hold dear
As we can't have you near
Things you might cherish,
Should we not meet again
The sun is fierce and hot
Ewen says the schools are strict
Dad got laid off from Fords
But he, says he's trying to fix it
We had to get towed
On the Great Ocean Road
But looking on the bright side
The old house is finally sold
We're both sending our love again
Nan is glad that you've made new friends
You say your dad works now
At the cement works near town
It may not be the best
But at least a job's been found
Dad has bought a new car
Claims it turns on a sixpence
The last trip to Adelaide
It didn't seem to make a difference
The sandstorm it came
That was, after the rain
Cold hungry tired
Then it was hot again
We're both sending our love again
Please be careful where you choose to swim
Those octopus you saw
Washed up on the shore
They made the news back here
Thirty deaths or more
Joe is learning guitar
Dad doesn't much like it
Dodged a brown snake on the beach
My clothes don't fit like they did
Spider bit my arm
Burned from the start
Doctor said good job
The poison didn't reach my heart
We're both sending our love and care
Strange you're in Torquay, but way out there
The weather back here
Seems really cold this year
Or maybe your nan and gramps
Are getting old I fear
Hope you're ok back there
The post's been slow here
In your last letter you mentioned
A cough that won't clear
We send you our love
And although times are tough
We're planning to see you
We've almost saved enough
We're both sending our love to you
We're mailing a parcel too
Things we hold dear
As we can't have you near
Things you might cherish,
Should we not meet again
…Cause we won't meet again