[Duet: BOB – Elderly Australian male baritone, deep and gravelly. JUNE – Elderly Australian female alto, warm, raspy and spirited. ONLY TWO VOCALISTS. Maintain distinct Australian accents throughout.] [Spoken Opening – JUNE SOLO – Warm Australian female alto, soft didgeridoo drone] Bob, one of the kids found this old photograph, and they wanted to know if it was you riding the horse. [BOB – Spoken, deep Australian male baritone, surprised] Well, I remember that picture. [BOB – Spoken, chuckling warmly] All right, everybody, gather around. Let me tell you about an eight-second ride. [Verse 1 – BOB SOLO – Deep Australian male baritone, fingerpicked acoustic guitar] Back in nineteen seventy-two, The Queensland sky was blazing blue. At Longreach, where the red dust blows, They brought out Redback for the show. He kicked the rails and shook the gate, The roughstock boys all cursed their fate. And there I stood in boots and hat, With June beside me, smiling back. [JUNE – Spoken, playful female alto] You’re leaving out the best bit, Bob. [BOB – Spoken, chuckling] I’m getting there, love! [Verse 2 – JUNE SOLO – Raspy Australian female alto, fiddle joins] They told us women, “Not today. This rodeo’s a man’s display.” But I’d been breaking horses young, And wasn’t scared of what he’d done. [JUNE – Female Alto] I wore Bob’s shirt and took his name, Tucked up my braid and played the game. He helped me climb behind that gate; I said, “Just count me out to eight.” [Pre-Chorus – BOB and JUNE alternating, no overlapping vocals] [BOB – Male Baritone] The chute flew wide; that Redback spun. I held my breath and watched her run. [JUNE – Female Alto] He bucked me high, he threw me low; I held that rope and wouldn’t go. [BOB – Male Baritone] The whistle blew, the crowd went wild, And they called my name as she just smiled. [Chorus – JUNE LEAD, Australian female alto. BOB sings quiet low harmony] Give me the painful truth. Don’t make it pretty. I’ve swallowed enough lies to last me a lifetime. Let it hurt. Let it burn. Let it show me what I never learned. A beautiful lie might comfort you… But freedom… freedom needs the truth. [Verse 3 – BOB SOLO – Regretful male baritone, gentle pedal steel] They put that silver in my hand; I should’ve told that cheering stand. But drought had left our paddocks bare; The prize put feed and water there. [BOB – Male Baritone] One quiet lie became a year, Then decades more of folks who’d cheer. I wore her buckle every day, And let the real ride fade away. [JUNE SOLO – Female alto, emotional but firm] I didn’t need a crown or fame, But Lord, I wanted back my name. I loved you through the leanest years, But love can’t drown the truth in tears. [Bridge – BOB and JUNE alternating, rising fiddle, rhythmic didgeridoo] [BOB – Male Baritone] So listen close, you little ones, Your Nan’s the one who made that run. That’s June beneath my battered hat; The photograph’s the proof of that. [JUNE – Female Alto] Eight seconds up, then fifty years, Of biting back a thousand tears. [BOB – Male Baritone] I’m sorry, June. That prize was yours. [JUNE – Female Alto, playful] Then pass it here, you old galah! [BOB – Spoken, laughing softly] Fair enough, love. Fair enough. [Final Chorus – BOB and JUNE DUET – Male baritone and female alto together in rich two-part harmony] Give me the painful truth. Don’t make it pretty. I’ve swallowed enough lies to last me a lifetime. Let it hurt. Let it burn. Let it show me what I never learned. A beautiful lie might comfort you… But freedom… freedom needs the truth. [Outro – Gentle acoustic guitar, warm fiddle, fading didgeridoo] [BOB – Male Baritone] That buckle hangs a little low, Where June can reach it when she goes. [JUNE – Female Alto] And if he tells that yarn again, I’ll set it straight before the end. [BOB – Spoken, deep Australian baritone] Well, June, I reckon those kids know the truth now. [JUNE – Spoken, laughing warmly] About bloody time, Bobby! [BOB – Spoken, chuckling] Best eight seconds I ever witnessed, love. [JUNE – Spoken, teasing] And don’t you bloody forget it! [End – Acoustic guitar and fading didgeridoo]
