When I found this 1930 photo I could resist posting it.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an icon of Australia isn’t it? You don’t even have to know what it, or the nearby Opera House, are called. When people see them they know they are looking at Australia.
Most countries have an icon like this don’t they. You know, the thing shown standing in smoking ruin during movies when they need to show that the aliens or zombies or some other world-ending catastrophe has spread to all of the civilized world, and that hope is rapidly fading…. 😉
This post started when we were watching Spicks and Specks last night and the musical finale was a song called Cows Come Home sung by Rich Hall. It was so funny it caused the Man to choke on his dinner and I had to share it with you.
Anyway, I had to find an appropriate cow article to accompany it and came across this one that shows why you should always know what it is you put in your mouth.
In 1932 a farmer was milking a cow when the peace of the event was shattered by an explosion. Apparently the cow had picked up a blasting cap and, chewing it, managed to blow its own head off, and knock out the milkman. Yipes!
Why on earth was there a blasting cap in a cow paddock? I wonder if blasting caps smell particularly yummy? That might explain that post I did about the bovine gentleman who was stuck in an old powder magazine. Was he enticed in there by the aroma of Boom?
The second last line of this article also gives me a chance to mention an Australian icon as well. Delicious Minties.
Minties are a white cube of minty goodness and, if you believe the slogan, bad things get better with Minties. Not going to help this particular cow though is it?
Minties make it better.
I was surprised to find that Minties have been around since the 1920’s and that the “It’s moments like these you need Minties” advertising phrase has been around since the start.
“It’s moments like these….” has become part of the Australian language and the wrapper of each lolly has a cartoon depicting some sort of situation which will be improved with the addition of a Mintie.
Dentists probably love them too, they are so chewy they are known for pulling out fillings and I guess their irresistibility has been the cause of many a cavity.
Somehow this post has gone from a funny song to an exploding cow to iconic lollies. Hmmm, I love the internet 🙂
Anyway, here is the promised song, I’m sure no cows were harmed in the making of it.
I was interested to read the list of this years additions to the National Film and Sound Archive’s sound registry. There are some great things on it but I believe that the most popular addition will be It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll) by AC/DC. (ABC news)
It is such an icon of Australian rock that the song, film clip, and the bagpipes riff are each worthy of individual fame!
AC/DC are beloved by Australians, so much so that Corporation Lane in Melbourne was officially renamed AC/DC lane some years ago.
The famous video clip for this song was filmed in Melbourne in February 1976, on the back of a moving flatbed truck. Very cool, and a great way of avoiding having to get the proper permits to film.
The line-up of the band has changed many times over the years and is one of the few I can think of who have gone on to massive successes despite the unexpected death of one of their main members. In 1980, lead singer Bon Scott (who sings in this clip) died after a night of drinking. He was replaced by the big-voiced Brian Johnson.
AC/DC have many iconic songs, and I couldn’t even narrow their song list down to my top 5 because I love so many of them. I think they should just submit their entire back catalogue to the archive, surely any official who rejected it would be required to hand in their Australian citizenship for such a crime!
If you wish to use any images or text from my blog be sure to ask permission and include a link back to Buried Words and Bushwa, and full credit to it.
Trove.
The newspaper articles here come from the National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au). Get on there and do some text correcting! You never know what you might find...
