The Children Came Back

2014


In celebration of 2014’s Naidoc Week, Briggs, along with Gurrumul, Dewayne Everettsmith and B2M performed “The Children Came Back” live on Australian radio-station Triple J as part of their long running segment ‘Like A Version’.

A year later in lead up to Naidoc Week 2015 and the release of Archie Roache’s 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Charcoal Lane,’ a studio version was released of the song.

The song is somewhat of a triumphant sequel to Archie Roach’s deeply sad “They Took the Children Away”

The first verse of Brigg’s version makes references a number of successful contemporary indigenous people including Gavin Wanganeen, Anthony Mundine, Adam Goodes, Patty Mills and Cathy Freeman. The second verse delves a little deeper into past figures such as Doug Nicholls, Lionel Rose & William Cooper. The third verse finds Brigg’s bringing it back a closer to home. In this verse he makes reference to places of importance to him, close to his mob and upbringing, such as Rumbalara, Cummera & ‘the flats that birthed Archie’. He also sketches a family tree, mentioning Briggs family members.

Every Indigenous person referenced on this track is prefixed with ‘I’m’. This in my option is what makes this song so special. I don’t believe this song is about Wanganeen’s Brownlow medal, nor is it about Lionel Rose’s world championship, I don’t think it’s about Patty Mills winning the NBA championship or even about the Cummeragunja walk-off. I believe the song is Briggs boldly stating the oneness of Indigenous Australia. That through the most horrific of circumstances, there is still a heartbeat, through unforgivable injustices, there is still a heartbeat, through near genocide, there is still a heartbeat. That it is in fact one heart beat, a dead hearts, heart beat.
genius.com

(1) ?
(2) Gavin Adrian Wanganeen (born 18 June 1973), giocatore di football australiano, nel 1993 vinse la Brownlow Medal come miglior giocatore del campionato.
(3) Anthony Mundine (Sydney, 21 maggio 1975) è un pugile e rugbista a 13 australiano
(4) Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, dettaCathy (Mackay, 16 febbraio 1973), è un'ex velocista australiana, specializzata in particolare nei 400 metri piani: campionessa olimpica ai Giochi di Sydney 2000 e due volte campionessa mondiale.
(5) Adam Roy Goodes (8 January 1980), giocatore di football australiano, spesso fischiato e insultato per motivi razziali

(6) Patrick "Patty" Mills è un cestista australiano, professionista nella NBA con i San Antonio Spurs. 
(7) Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 gennaio 1971, Elcho Island, Australia - 25 luglio 2017, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia)
(8) Archibald William "Archie" Roach musicista, autore di They Took the Children Away, di cui questa canzone è un sequel
(9) Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls (9 dicembre 1906– 4 giugno 1988) è stato un presbitero laico protestante, politico e in gioventù giocatore di football australiano proveniente dal Nuovo Galles del Sud, che ricoprì la carica di governatore dello stato dell'Australia Meridionale.
(10) James Oswald Little, AO (1 March 1937 – 2 April 2012), musicista, "Royal Telephone" del 1963 è il suo maggior successo

(11) Lionel Edmund Rose (21 June 1948 – 8 May 2011), pugile campione mondiale dei pesi Gallo nel 1968
(12) William Cooper (c.1860 – 1941) politico e attivista per i diritti degli aborigeni