On a Day Like This (2003) – David Bridie

Like fellow Australian singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers yesterday, David Bridie is no stranger to this blog. I’ve lost count how many posts have appeared here from him as a solo artist and his folky and rootsy band – My Friend The Chocolate Cake. Today’s featured track On a Day Like This reflects more than any other song how the album (Hotel Radio) radiates a sensual summer’s warmth with an expansive sense of mystery. It possesses an earthy and breezy Australian sound, creating an atmosphere akin to what a Tim Winton novel might conjure.

You see that man slumped by the corner
Swigging on a tin can
Half filled with brandavino, it’s the middle of the day
And on a day like this it’s the drink that makes them colourful;

He goes waltzing round the garden wall
He’s casting demons from his battered soul
A cold wind cuts from the south side all the shoppers go inside
And on a day like this it’s the drink that makes them colourful

The mighty cliff, the barren sea
A heart that is ringing out for me
Push on ’til you feel complete
Happy dancing dusty feet

Out front of the amusement hall
A laugh when you think of it all
Takes the panic edge off the waiting ’til the fortnight comes round

And away from any evidence
The Major pushes zero tolerance
So the girl who thinks that she’s Jesus faces jail for her crimes

And on a day like this it’s the drinks that makes them colourful
And on a day like this it’s the drink that makes them wonderful
And on a day like this it’s the drink that makes them colourful

For we are young and free….this wonderful country

I’ve always considered David Bridie as musically Australia’s best kept secret. Despite his profound influence on the Australian music industry and the composition of soundtrack music, with credits for over 100 feature films he is hardly a household name. Let this sink in; today’s song has just 16 views in 5 months on YT. Yet he is my favourite Australian singer-songwriter and I count myself blessed that I have seen him perform many times and talked to him between sets. Much of Bridie’s work is still shrouded in obscurity, usually finding its way out of Australia when the singer occasionally tours his material.

Reference:
1. David Bridie – Wikipedia
2. Wake to a Dream: An Interview with David Bridie – Pop Matters

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand