"From Little Things Big Things Grow" is a protest song recorded by Australian artists Paul Kelly & The Messengers on their 1991 album Comedy, and by Kev Carmody on his 1993 album Bloodlines. It was released as a CD single by Carmody and Kelly in 1993 but failed to chart. The song was co-written by Kelly and Carmody, and is based on the story of the Gurindji strike and Vincent Lingiari as part of the Indigenous Australian struggle for land rights and reconciliation.
On 4 May 2008 a cover version by The GetUp Mob, part of the GetUp! advocacy group, peaked at #4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association singles charts. This version included samples from speeches by Prime MinistersPaul Keating in 1992, and Kevin Rudd in 2008; it featured vocals by both Carmody and Kelly, as well as other Australian artists. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "From Little Things Big Things Grow" was ranked number 70.
Background
The song was co-written by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, and is based on the story of The Gurindji Strike and Vincent Lingiari. It describes how the Gurindji people's claim sparked the Indigenous land rights movement. The protest led to the Commonwealth Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. The Act gave Indigenous people freehold title to traditional lands in the Northern Territory and the power of veto over mining and development on those lands. In 1975, 3,236 km² of land was handed back to the Gurindji people. Carmody described writing the song: It was recorded by Paul Kelly and the Messengers for their 1991 album Comedy released by Mushroom Records. Kelly included the song on his solo albums, Live, May 1992 and Songs from the South: Paul Kelly's Greatest Hits in 1997. Carmody recorded it on his 1993 album Bloodlines supplying vocals, guitar and didgeridoo, Kelly supplied vocals, guitar and harmonica, with numerous other musicians. This Carmody and Kelly version was released as a single in 1993 but did not chart. Also in 1993, an SBStelevision documentary, Bloodbrothers, examined Carmody and his music including this song. Kelly attributes the song's major influences to protest songs of the civil rights movement and traditional folk songs. The melody is borrowed from "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" by Bob Dylan, with the opening line reworked from "The Times They Are a-Changin." :
Other versions
The song was performed on 7 July 2007 on the Australian leg of Live Earth by Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody, John Butler, and Missy Higgins. The song could have been considered "the event's anthem." Rolling Stone cited the performance as a highlight, stating the "whole crowd sung along – all eleven verses." The GetUp Mob, organised by advocacy group GetUp!, released a version of the song on 21 April 2008. This featured elements of the apology to the Stolen Generations, made by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 13 February 2008, as well as former Prime Minister Paul Keating's Redfern Speech on 10 December 1992. The track features Carmody and Kelly, as well as other prominent Australian artists. This version peaked at #4 on the ARIA singles chart after its 28 April 2008 release, and #2 on both the Australian Chart and Digital Track Chart. The video for the song was produced by ARIA winner Hackett Films, and features John Butler, Leah Purcell, Pat Dodson and Anthony Mundine. Kev Carmody described the 2008 version: A version of the song performed by The Waifs also appears on the 2007 Kev Carmody tribute album, Cannot Buy My Soul. The song is also featured on their 2009 Live from the Union of Soul album where it is co-performed with John Butler. In November 2009 Triple J held a tribute concert for Paul Kelly in Melbourne, with John Butler, Missy Higgins and Dan Sultan performing this song. A recording from the concert, Before Too Long, was released in 2010. In 2013 Joan Baez, on her first Australian tour for 28 years, included it in her concerts to great applause. Kelly and Carmody performed the song together on 5 November 2014 at the public memorial service at Sydney Town Hall for former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, who is the "tall stranger" referred to in the song.
