This was a very moving song for me; not because I’ve been personally affected by what Ben is describing, but because he does it so well, and so subtly. It’s a melancholy tune with the strings used to great effect – very emotive. This is really an extraodinary piece of storytelling based on the 2005 Eyre Peninsula “Wangary” Bushfire. When I asked Ben about it, he said “I was working for the newsletter at that time flown in as the airport was burning”. Yes, he was there.
Musically it’s tempo and style is perfect for conveying the emotion, even if it took me a few listens to get the message straight. I’ve listened many times now and it just keeps growing on me.
I didn’t want to pre-empt people’s own journey of discovery of this song, so I asked Steve and Colin not to give it away when we talked about it.
I’ve put my interpretations, in order, at the bottom of this article; I would really like you to listen, note down your thoughts on what it was about, and do this at least two more times, and please, please let me know your interpretations in order, by comments below. If you are as moved by this song as I was, you’ll want to do it, believe me. The song segment starts at about 1hr and 7 minutes in.
Ben is a freelance photographer and photo-journalist and singer-songwriter.
“Ben Searcy has an extraordinary knack of being able to capture the thoughts within us all with disarming lyrics, great guitar work and, occasionally, a deliciously dark sense of humour”
My discovery of “Wangary” (don’t read until you’ve listened a couple of times!)
- The first listen, seemed to be about a bushfire; a guy who stayed and saved his house. I couldn’t work out why he changed his mind and didn’t think the fact his house survived and his neighbours’ didn’t was a good thing.
- The second listen I thought maybe his partner and kids wouldn’t come back because he stayed to fight the fire, or for some other reason.
- The third listen I thought he died fighting the fire and it was a kind of ‘beyond the grave’ style song. Quite moving.
- I think I got it on the fourth listen; it made me tear up.
What was your take?
For the record, here is our full discussion of the song from the podcast. We clipped it and put it here so that we didn’t spoil it for you before your first listen.
One Response
My initial take on Ben Searcy’s highly evocative song was that it was just a narrative song about a bushfire. From the title and the first few lines, the setting of the story rang bells in my mind, but that was all.
On second listening, I must’ve connected more with the song, as the actual story began to unfold for me – a man with his family, getting out while there was still a chance. Fleeing the fire, abandoning everything in the face of extreme adversity – a last-minute dash for freedom.
Later, returning to the scene of the devastation, he sees that while his house remains mostly untouched, his neighbours’ homes have not been so lucky.
At first he’s grateful… but then not, as he contemplates loss on a very personal and emotional level – the loss of a loved one or loved ones.
The idea that he has survived – just – but has lost partner/family (children?) starts to become haunting.
What the song called up for me were thoughts of the wonder of survival, but then the sheer and devastating heartache of knowing that survival came at a price – personal loss of other life. On one hand survival is a blessing, but then what’s it really worth if you’ve lost ALL you love? You might well be better off dead.