| "Australia" | |
|---|---|
 Australian single label | |
| Song bythe Kinks | |
| from the albumArthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) | |
| Released | 10 October 1969 (1969-10-10) |
| Recorded | May–June 1969 |
| Studio | Pye, London |
| Genre | Rock[1] |
| Length | 6:46 |
| Label | Pye |
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies |
| Producer(s) | Ray Davies |
| Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) track listing | |
12 tracks
| |
"Australia" is a song by the British rock bandthe Kinks, appearing on their 1969 album,Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). It was written by the band's main songwriter,Ray Davies.
In the song, the character Derek (who is featured in the story line ofArthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)) attempts to convince his father, Arthur, of the great opportunities available in Australia, where there's "no drug addiction" and you can "surf like they do in the U.S.A." Derek's advertisement is compared toJohn Smith, who campaigned for America in a similar manner, by author Thomas Kitts.[2]
The song also features a jam sequence lasting for approximately half the song, which is atypical for the Kinks. This sequence also features aWobble Board, an Australian instrument. In the Australian single edit, this section is removed by editing an earlier section of the song into another section during a drum beat, which is then followed by a fade-out.
"Australia" was released in most countries only onArthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), where it was the closing track on side one. In Australia, an abbreviated version of the song was released as a single, with anotherArthur track, "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina", on the B-side. The single was commercially unsuccessful.