Verse 1)The shadow of the giant bridge was all we used to knowIt blocked the sun and kept us cool in the morning's golden glowWe raced across the cobblestones of narrow terrace streetsDodging coal smoke in the air and Sydney’s summer heat(Verse 2)My brother Tommy held my hand upon the stone-cut stairsWe watched the massive cargo ships and breathed the salty airThe rusty hulls and ocean liners glided past the fortWhile busy wharfies yelled and cheered down at the noisy port(Verse 3)The weekends brought a different sound along old George's laneThe market stalls were packed with books and boots against the rainBut soon the stalls were pushed aside for marching boots and signsAs history came a-knocking on these childhood days of mine(Chorus)Oh, we lived beneath the iron beams where harbor waters flowWe watched the shifting tides of time and saw our country growThrough the smoke, the noise, the heavy times, the changing of the locksWe stood our ground as children of the historic Sydney Rocks(Verse 4)The year was nineteen-sixty-seven when the green trucks rolled on throughThe soldier boys were coming home across the ocean blueWith sunburned faces, tight and worn, straight from the jungle trackSome went straight into the pubs, and some just looked right back(Verse 5)They sat upon the harbor benches staring at the seaWith quiet eyes that saw a place where we could never beOur mother said to wave our hands and treat them with respectBut never ask about the things that we could not protect(Verse 6)Then came the roaring of the crowds, the chanting in the squareA sea of people marched along with banners in the airThey shouted out against the war, they yelled to save their sonsThe sandstone walls re-echoed with the sound of phantom guns(Verse 7)We climbed up high on Dawes Point wall to watch the grand paradeThe mounted police on heavy steeds stood frozen in the shadeIt made our young hearts beat with fear, it made our spirits riseTo see the world a-turning right before our childhood eyes(Verse 8)At night our parents whispered low around the kitchen lightOf rising rents and modern plans that we would have to fightThey spoke about a changing town, a future loud and newAnd wondered if there’d be a place for folks like me and you(Verse 9)But we endured beneath the bridge, we kept our secrets deepInside the cracks of sandstone walls where old ghosts go to sleepThe harbor breeze was in our hair, the steel was overheadWe held onto the rocky ground where older heroes bled(Outro)Oh, the steel bridge kept us safe and soundRooted deep in Sydney groundTommy, won't you race me homeBefore the evening shadows roamYeah, we endured...Right here at the Rocks.
