Eric Bogle

Scotland's greatest living Australian. Or the other way around, depending on how you look at it. Born in Peebles, Scotland, and emigrating to Australia in 1969, he currently resides near Adelaide, South Australia. Written in 1972, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda is perhaps his best-known song, being a haunting evocation of the ANZAC experience fighting in the Battle of Gallipoli. It has also been interpreted as a reaction to the Vietnam War. Bogle's songs cover a wide range of subjects, including bright comic songs, satires, protest songs and other serious considerations of the human condition. Some idea of the breadth of his work can be gained from the differing subject matter, ranging from The Aussie Bar-B-Q to an homage to Stan Rogers, entitled Safe In The Harbour. One of his most popular songs, Katie and the Dreamtime Land, is a tribute to American folksinger Kate Wolf, following her untimely death from leukemia in 1986. In a similar vein to And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", his song, No Man's Land, refers to the old Scottish song, "Flowers of the Forest" being played over the grave of a World War I soldier. (Bogle has been known to call the song The green fields of France, a title it was first given by The Fureys and subsequently used by The Men They Couldn't Hang.) In 1997, British Prime Minister Tony Blair presented a Belfast girl who wrote to him about the Troubles with a framed copy of the lyrics to The green fields of France", calling it his favourite anti-war poem. Other well-known songs, with lighter subject matter, include two homages to departed pets, Little Gomez" and [track artist=Eric Bogle]Nobody's Moggy Now, and an acknowledgment of his folk music fans with, Do You Sing Any Dylan?. Many of his songs have been covered by other artists, particularly his anti-war songs. And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda and No Man's Land both gained fame in versions by June Tabor, The Men They Couldn't Hang and The Clancy Brothers. And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda was covered by John McDermott, Mike Harding and The Pogues, and "All the Fine Young Men" was recorded by De Dannan. Recently, the Dropkick Murphys covered "The Green Fields of France", and "Shelter" was covered by John Williamson on his album of great Australian anthems. In 2000 a five CD collection was released called, Singing The Spirit Home. In 2006 he undertook a lengthy UK tour accompanied by long term friend and collaborator John Munro. Future plans include recording a new CD for release in 2008.