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The Man & the Woman & the Edison Phonograph (w Ronnie Summers)

from Balance by Bruce Watson

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about

Fanny Cochrane Smith was born on Flinders Island in 1834 and learnt songs and stories from across Tasmania. As an elder she sang them at recitals around Tasmania. Horace Watson recorded her in 1903. Whether she really was the last full blood Tasmanian is a moot point. There is a vibrant Tasmanian Aboriginal community today, many of whom are related to her. One is singer Ronnie Summers, whom I met through this song. Now we are ‘related by song’ and perform this piece together when we can. In an amazing turning of history’s circle the voices on this track bring together two histories and many generations. Our ancestors would be thrilled, I suspect. Thanks to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and members of the Tasmanian community for their blessing to use the archival recording.

lyrics

(Bruce:)
There’s a photo on a wall in a museum in Hobart
It was taken in October of 1903
Of a woman and a man with an Edison phonograph
Recording her songs of the land and the sea
There’s a button on the wall there next to the photo
If you press it you can hear the ghosts of her songs
As they echo through the halls of that museum in Hobart
A scratchy reminder of all we’ve done wrong

CHORUS: (Both)
The man and the woman and the Edison phonograph
Salvaging pieces of song
White man’s black cylinder, the story of progress
The song lives on – but the singers are gone

(Ronnie:)
Not yet fifty years since white man first settled
She was born on an island in Bass Strait’s cruel seas
Where the few who remained of my people were herded
And left there to die of despair and disease
And at seven she was taken from her mother and family
To work as a servant, to be taught about God
But she still learnt the old ways, the songs and the stories
With dear Truganini she’d go bush for food

And after Truganini, the scientists descended
Was Fanny Smith now the last of her race?
The futile debates it seemed never ended
They took her dimensions and examined the shape of her face

(Bruce:)
And the man in the photo was born to an immigrant
He married a woman of inherited wealth
He lived in a mansion overlooking the harbour
Worked hard for their business, did well for himself
And in time he became a gentleman of leisure
He developed an interest in the native folks’ ways
He collected and catalogued those cultural treasures
Archived and referenced for future display

He was a member of the Royal Society
Propertied wealth, a man of propriety
She and her people were torn from their land
Betrayed, dislocated, dissected – according to plan
But they came together through song

(Bruce:)
There’s a photo on a wall in a museum in Hobart
It was taken in October of 1903
Of a woman and a man with an Edison phonograph
Recording her songs of the land and the sea

And the man had a son
Who in turn had a son
Who in turn had a son
Who was me

(Ronnie:)
And the woman had a son
Who in turn had a daughter
Who in turn had a son
Who in turn had a son
And the next one was me

credits

from Balance, released August 5, 2020

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Bruce Watson Melbourne, Australia

Joyful, hilarious, thought provoking and totally engaging original songs from one of Australia's foremost songwriters and performers in the folk style.

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