A true Aussie bloke would never leave the great country of Australia. He would never trade his life as a “battler” or a “bushman” for a more glamorous life in the spotlight. An Aussie bloke would never become absorbed by fame and fortune. Would he?
Despite Keith Urban dropping out of school to pursue his dreams of playing the guitar on giant stages across the US, making millions of dollars, earning almost every country music award in the books, and marrying another celebrity superstar, many believe that this country music legend is still an Aussie bushman at heart. It could very well be the case that, beneath all the glitz and glamour of being a country music star, Keith Urban has the qualities and values that make up a typical Australian. However, there are also a number of instances where Urban has challenged the notion of being a true Australian. In the end, it is clear that Urban really is an Australian bloke who has been dropped into an unfamiliar setting. This setting is now the American country music scene. But his character is one that is uniquely Australian overall.
The first fact that should be pointed out is that Keith Urban is not a natural-born Australian. The Whangarei, New Zealand-born bloke moved to the country when he was 4 years old. It is here that he developed his passion for guitar at a young age and began performing as a teen. By 1991, at the age of 24, Urban had charted four No. 1 country singles in Australia. That wasn’t enough for him, however. Urban crossed the ocean shortly after becoming successful at home in order to further his career in Nashville, Tennessee, the hometown of many of his country music heroes (“Keith Urban Biography”).
As Simon Longstaff implies in his article on Australian identity,...
... middle of paper ...
... .
Elder, Catriona. "The Working Man Is Everywhere: Class and National Identity." Being Australian: Narratives of National Identity. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin, 2007. 40-53. Print.
"Keith Urban Biography." People.com. Ed. Janet Mock and Julia Wang. People Magazine. Web. 17 Aug. 2011. .
"Keith Urban Interview." About.com: Country Music. CountryMusic Guide, 5 Feb. 2001. Web. 17 Aug. 2011. .
Longstaff, Simon. "Australian Identity." Ethics.org.au. St. James Ethics Centre, Dec. 1995. Web. 16 Aug. 2011. .
Ward, Russel B. The Australian Legend. Melbourne, NY: Oxford UP, 1958. Print.
The 2014 Walkley Award winning documentary, "Cronulla Riots: the day that shocked the nation" reveals to us a whole new side of Aussie culture. No more she’ll be right, no more fair go and sadly no more fair dinkum. The doco proved to all of us (or is it just me?) that the Australian identity isn’t really what we believe it to be. After viewing this documentary
Times have changed, and along with the times so has country music. American country music lovers have went from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings, just two of the many classic oldies, to Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, two very appealing country music artists. However, it is not only the tune of the music that has changed, it is the image, the appeal, and overall the type of icons the media is portraying these modern music stars as. Icons such as Lynn and Jennings had identifiable features within their music as well as their appearance that spoke sweet southern belle and rugged twang. Whereas Underwood’s and Bryan’s appeal now is much more sexualized than it was during the oldies. These changes affect the way modern day singers are marketed compared to former country music stars, instead of focusing on talent it is now looks.
stage for the development of Australian cultural identity and the values, attitudes and beliefs of
LUKE BRYAN LIVING THE DREAM. FINAN, EILEEN. People. 8/5/2013, Vol. 80 Issue 6, p113. 1p.
Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy provides an insight into 1960s/70s Australia and helps reinforce common conceptions about Australian culture. One common conception Goldsworthy reinforces in this text is Australia’s increasing acceptance of multiculturalism. Maestro, set in the 1960s to 1970s, shows Australians growing more accepting and tolerant of other cultures. This shift in perspective was occurring near the end of the White Australia/Assimilation Policy, which was phased out in the late 1970s/early 1980s. An example of this shifted perspective in Maestro is Paul’s father’s opinion about living in Darwin:
Country music is one of the most popular genres of music throughout America. There are many influential figures that have changed the way country music sounds, and how people interpret it. Two important people who have made a huge impact on country music overtime are Johnny Cash and Luke Bryan. From their early life, their career, and how society views them, they have opened the minds of people and country musicians all over the country. Johnny Cash’s songs help people to experience his life growing up through the Great Depression and how people lived back then. Through Luke Bryan’s songs people could understand what life was like for Luke growing up in Georgia and all the hardships he faced. Johnny Cash and Luke Bryan are two of the many country singers that have influenced country fans to be more optimistic and hopeful.
Class is a key idea related to inequality, prejudice and discrimination in Australian society. It has been considered out of fashion, because some Australian people think that there is no class difference between people in Australia, everyone enjoys equality in society. In fact, the recent de-regulation of the workplace, and the widening gap in access to hospitals, schools and employment opportunities between the rich and poor, have made class more visible in Australian than ever before. Class is "a category of people who have generally similar educational histories, job opportunities, and social standing and who are conscious of their membership in a social group that is ranked in relation to others and is replicated over generations" (Kent, 1998:87). This essay argues that class cause continues to inequality in Australian society. Firstly, class structures labor market inequality. Secondly, class shapes the quality of a person's life. Thirdly, class inequality produces continuing class differences into the next generation. Finally, class has becoming a debate in Australian society, because class inequality encourages the `right' people to work more efficiently in the workforce and helps people to identify themselves in society, but continuing relevance of the concept of class is a matter in contemporary Australia.
Taylor Swift’s debut album contained such songs as Our Song, Teardrops on my Guitar, and Picture to Burn. Swift’s approach is perhaps more country than the Dixie Chicks in a few regards. The banjo is featured throughout the record and more traditional country percussion, as well as more country-style lyrics. However, she stands out with a crystal-clear voice and excellent use of metaphor throughout her songwriting. In terms of musicality, Swift may not be the most gifted, aside from her voice. But in her songs, her personality shines through in a way that pulls light through into your ears, noted especially in her song Love
Pecknold, Diane. 2007. The Selling Sound: The Rise of the Country Music Industry. Durham: Duke University Press.
Reynolds, H. (2005). Nowhere People: How international race thinking shaped Australia’s identity. Australia: Penguin Group
Thomas, L. (2013). Recognising indigenous people in the Australian constitution. Australian Nursing Journal: ANJ, the, 20(10), 21.
The rights and freedoms achieved in Australia in the 20th and 21st century can be described as discriminating, dehumanising and unfair against the Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australians have achieved rights and freedoms in their country since the invasion of the English Monarch in 1788 through the exploration and development of laws, referendums and processes. Firstly, this essay will discuss the effects of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the Indigenous Australians through dehumanising and discriminating against them. Secondly, this essay will discuss how Indigenous Australians gained citizenship and voting
Samuel Wagan Watson presents an Aboriginal perspective on Australian identity, exploring the marginalization of Aboriginal culture. Watson associates
After a rough day, when people come home from work, they need something that will make their day better. Any music helps to release people from their everyday lives. For some it is like going on vacation, or a home away from home. It not only gives strength, hope, but it helps relieves stress. Music is essential to everyday life in this world. People have become what they listen to. “The most important requirement of popular music is that is must appeal to a large number of people” (Yudkin 284). Pop country music is one of America’s favorite genre’s to listen to. Its roots began in rural America. Looking back, country music has drastically evolved and changed moving away from its original sound. Pop country is what has taken over much of the country genre. The joining of country and pop began in
In the song “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton, he describes life before he met his lover and then he figuratively describes the effect this person has on him. He was an alcoholic and this person’s love changed his outlook on the importance of love and alcohol. The intense feeling of how irresistible romantic love can be is illustrated in Chris Stapleton’s song “Tennessee Whiskey” using figurative language such as juxtaposition and hyperbole.