Once I was something, remember me then?
I ran so wild and free
From mountain to valley
Through redgum and mallee
I ran all the way to the sea
Thought I’d run for all time in those years of my prime
Now time’s running out for me
And as I lie dying, you’re not even trying
To help me run down to the sea
When you came along with your dance and your song
I was taken in by your charms
And you found your pleasures in all of my treasures
As you settled down in my arms
With your ploughs and your ditches, you made all your riches
From the bounty that I bestowed
And your sons and your daughters all drank from my waters
With no thought for the debt that they owed
But you can’t keep on and taking without something breaking
And the reckoning’s finally come
And where are you now, with all your know how
When it’s time to tally the sum?
After all we’ve been through, is it too much to do
To agree on what’s to be done?
If you really cared for all that we’ve shared
You’d find some way to help me to run
But your mouths just chatter with things that don’t matter
While mine’s gone silent and dry
And your banks are swollen with all that you’ve stolen
While mine are just left bare to die
It’s a cruel situation to feed a whole nation
And be treated like this by a friend
It's not me who'll be cursed if I die here of thirst
It’s you who’ll be damned in the end
Oh, but once I was something, remember me when
I ran so wild and free
From mountain to valley
Through redgum and mallee
I ran all the way to the sea
Thought I’d run for all time in those years of my prime
Now time’s running out for me
And as I lie dying, I wish you were trying
To help me run down to the sea
I hope that you know, I’m not ready to go
Help me run down to the sea
Could you, this time, be a true friend of mine?
Help me run down to the sea
Listen to me, please hear my plea
Help me run down to the sea
Help me run down to the sea
Help me run down to the sea
[Words by John Sutton, 30 May 2018, any use subject to an Attribution+ShareAlike (BY-SA) licence]
NOTE: The version sung by Tripple Effect modifies the above (original) version by replacing verses 3 &4 with the chorus, as follows:
Once I was something, remember me then?
I ran so wild and free
From mountain to valley
Through redgum and mallee
I ran all the way to the sea
Thought I’d run for all time in those years of my prime
Now time’s running out for me
And as I lie dying, you’re not even trying
To help me run down to the sea
When you came along with your dance and your song
I was taken in by your charms
And you found your pleasures in all of my treasures
As you settled down in my arms
With your ploughs and your ditches, you made all your riches
From the bounty that I bestowed
And your sons and your daughters all drank from my waters
With no thought for the debt that they owed
Oh, but once I was something, remember me when
I ran so wild and free
From mountain to valley
Through redgum and mallee
I ran all the way to the sea
Thought I’d run for all time in those years of my prime
Now time’s running out for me
And as I lie dying, I wish you were trying
To help me run down to the sea
But your mouths just chatter with things that don’t matter
While mine’s gone silent and dry
And your banks are swollen from all that you’ve stolen
While mine are just left bare to die
It’s a cruel situation to feed a whole nation
And be treated like this by a friend
It's not me who'll be cursed if I die here of thirst
It’s you who’ll be damned in the end
Oh, but once I was something, remember me when
I ran so wild and free
From mountain to valley
Through redgum and mallee
I ran all the way to the sea
Thought I’d run for all time in those years of my prime
Now time’s running out for me
And as I lie dying, I wish you were trying
To help me run down to the sea
I hope that you know, I’m not ready to go
Help me run down to the sea
Could you, this time, be a true friend of mine?
Help me run down to the sea
Listen to me, please hear my plea
Help me run down to the sea
Help me run down to the sea
Help me run down to the sea
