The Last Frontier

This is from Redgum's "Caught in the act" live album. It's about a road trip up the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs so the placenames are from around there. (Chord progression 1) It's a corrugated highway leading north from Port Augusta line With ratted cars that didn't rate a tow Salt plains out of Pimba and your eyes begin to stream Onto Kingoonya, huddled dusty by the road (Progression 1) Romantic notions shattered like the tyres that didn't hack it This has got to be the countries last frontier Where a sports cars next to useless, running cattle grids and river beds We drove a van from 1963 (Chord progression 2) Someone mentioned walkabout, kiss your job goodbye Just to see the country shimmer through the windscreen Drinking beer telling stories while laughter filled the night Flexitimes behind you like a bad dream (Progression 1) Got a flat on ANZAC highway and Lawson on your shelf It's a southern comfort air-conditioned rage Where a homesteads more than just a cheap print dangling from a wall And mateships more than lines upon a page (Progression 2) We went looking for Australia inbetween the TV lines 'Cause the ABC just couldn't make it real Colour documentary from a beanbag on the floor Never shows as much as it conceals (Progression 1) Stark and blistered Alice Springs and a river runs with shame And you wipe the sheets of bulldust from your eyes Another countries uniform, mirage it falls apart To the open gap between the truth and lies (Progression 2) Go and see your country mate, travel agents scream Politicians sell its heart just for a pasttime Signs and highwire fences of a land where I belong It's as if I'm in the outback for the last time For the last time (uh-huh) (x4)