'Solid Rock-Puli Kunpungka'
'Solid Rock-Puli Kunpungka' Resources
Solid Rock - Puli Kunpunka
The translation of ‘Solid Rock’ into Pitjantjatjara
In 1982, Shane Howard's anthem, ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’, from the album ‘Spirit of Place’, recorded with his band Goanna, rang out across the airwaves. It was one of the first songs of its idiom to broach the subject of Aboriginal dispossession in the Australian mainstream and it impacted powerfully on an entire generation.
'Shane returned many times to Uluru and in 2009, commissioned by One Day Hill Publishers, and accompanied by renowned QLD artist Peter Hudson, Shane and Peter worked with local school children at Mutitjulu, Imanpa and Kalkutjatjara communities to create a children’s book with illustrations to accompany the words written at that sacred rock 29 years earlier. 'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpunka' features the lyrics of the song in English, a translation of the song into Pitjantjatjara, together with paintings by Peter Hudson and children from the communities.
In 2012, teachers and workers from the Music Outback Foundation, through the schools in Ernabella, Mimili, Pipalyatjara and Indulkana have been teaching the chorus of ‘Puli Kunpunka’ to the kids, and Shane, along with Steve Berry and Mark Smerdon, recorded the children singing in the APY lands for the CD that accompanies the 2nd edition of the book.
Ruby James translated the song ‘Solid Rock’, in 2010 and Uncle Trevor Adamson made a further poetic contribution to the translation, by reviewing and developing a powerful Pitjantjatjara version suitable for singing. Special thanks must go to Jodi Martin for working on the development of the new translation into the song.
The translation of ‘Solid Rock’ into Pitjantjatjara
In 1982, Shane Howard's anthem, ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’, from the album ‘Spirit of Place’, recorded with his band Goanna, rang out across the airwaves. It was one of the first songs of its idiom to broach the subject of Aboriginal dispossession in the Australian mainstream and it impacted powerfully on an entire generation.
'Shane returned many times to Uluru and in 2009, commissioned by One Day Hill Publishers, and accompanied by renowned QLD artist Peter Hudson, Shane and Peter worked with local school children at Mutitjulu, Imanpa and Kalkutjatjara communities to create a children’s book with illustrations to accompany the words written at that sacred rock 29 years earlier. 'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpunka' features the lyrics of the song in English, a translation of the song into Pitjantjatjara, together with paintings by Peter Hudson and children from the communities.
In 2012, teachers and workers from the Music Outback Foundation, through the schools in Ernabella, Mimili, Pipalyatjara and Indulkana have been teaching the chorus of ‘Puli Kunpunka’ to the kids, and Shane, along with Steve Berry and Mark Smerdon, recorded the children singing in the APY lands for the CD that accompanies the 2nd edition of the book.
Ruby James translated the song ‘Solid Rock’, in 2010 and Uncle Trevor Adamson made a further poetic contribution to the translation, by reviewing and developing a powerful Pitjantjatjara version suitable for singing. Special thanks must go to Jodi Martin for working on the development of the new translation into the song.
'Solid Rock-Puli Kunpungka' Lyrics
‘Solid Rock, Puli Kunpungka’
© Shane Howard/Trevor Adamson/Ruby James 2012
Out here nothing changes
Not in a hurry anyway
You can feel the endlessness
With the coming of the light of day
Talk about a chosen place
They want to sell it in the marketplace
Just a minute now
Standin’ on solid rock
Standin’ on sacred ground
Livin’ on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Keep blowin’ down the line
’Round about the dawn of time
Dreaming all began
Proud people come
Livin’ in a promised land
Runnin’ from a heart of darkness
Searching for a heart of light
Could’ve been paradise
Standin’ on solid rock
Standin’ on sacred ground
Livin’ on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Were blowin’ cold that night
Standin’ on the shore one day
All the white sails in the sun
Wasn’t long before you felt the sting
White man white law white gun
Don’t tell me it’s justified
Cause somewhere someone lied
Its hard enough just to survive
Who’s that crying
Were trying to get stronger now
Stronger now
Can we get it together
Get it together in this country ?
Puli kunpungka ngaranyi
Manta miil-miilpa katu
Nyuntu kurangka ngaranyi
Walpa kampa kutjuparinyi
Walpa pulkaringanyi
Puli kunpungka ngaranyi
Manta miil-miilpa katu
Nyuntu wirungka ngaranyi
Walpa kampa kutjuparinyi
Walpa pulkaringanyi
© Shane Howard/Trevor Adamson/Ruby James 2012
Out here nothing changes
Not in a hurry anyway
You can feel the endlessness
With the coming of the light of day
Talk about a chosen place
They want to sell it in the marketplace
Just a minute now
Standin’ on solid rock
Standin’ on sacred ground
Livin’ on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Keep blowin’ down the line
’Round about the dawn of time
Dreaming all began
Proud people come
Livin’ in a promised land
Runnin’ from a heart of darkness
Searching for a heart of light
Could’ve been paradise
Standin’ on solid rock
Standin’ on sacred ground
Livin’ on borrowed time
And the winds of change
Were blowin’ cold that night
Standin’ on the shore one day
All the white sails in the sun
Wasn’t long before you felt the sting
White man white law white gun
Don’t tell me it’s justified
Cause somewhere someone lied
Its hard enough just to survive
Who’s that crying
Were trying to get stronger now
Stronger now
Can we get it together
Get it together in this country ?
Puli kunpungka ngaranyi
Manta miil-miilpa katu
Nyuntu kurangka ngaranyi
Walpa kampa kutjuparinyi
Walpa pulkaringanyi
Puli kunpungka ngaranyi
Manta miil-miilpa katu
Nyuntu wirungka ngaranyi
Walpa kampa kutjuparinyi
Walpa pulkaringanyi
'Solid Rock-Puli Kunpungka' School Resources
'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka'
MP3 of the song 'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' with last chorus sung in Pitjantjatjara. Sung by Shane Howard, Amy Saunders, Myra Howard, Emma Donovan and the students of the Pipalyatjara School.
4.33 MB
'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' - pronunciation
MP3 of Shane Howard singing and speaking the chorus of 'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' in Pitjantjatjara.
347 KB
'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' - Lyrics - ALL SONG
Word Document of 'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' lyrics for whole song.
67.7 KB
'Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' - Pitjantjatjara pronunciation and meaning
Word document of the Pitjantjatjara pronunciation of chorus and the meaning.
83.3 KB
Solid Rock - Puli Kunpungka' - childrens book - Teachers notes
English Investigation – Year 6-7
73.5 KB