From Paradise (1993) – Archie Roach

Australian singer songwriter Archie Roach is a national treasure. He is now at peace with his wife ‘Aunty Ruby’ Hunter who was also his musical partner. “Uncle Archie”, as he was affectionately known to many, was regarded as giving a voice to the stories of many Aboriginal people (Indigenous Australians) and offering comfort and healing in his words and music. Archie’s music has featured here prominently since his music had an enormous impact on my early adulthood and continues to resonate strongly. I was fortunate to have seen him in concert in Melbourne with one of my other favourite Australian singer songwriters David Bridie who produced Archie’s second album in which today’s featured track From Paradise was released.

I have always been moved by Archie’s powerful voice and emotional storytelling. Born in Victoria, Australia, Roach faced numerous challenges in his early life, including being forcibly removed from his family as part of the government’s Stolen Generations policy. Despite these hardships, Roach found solace in music and began honing his craft as a singer and songwriter. His music including today’s song From Paradise is deeply rooted in his Indigenous heritage, with themes of resilience, survival, and the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition for Indigenous Australians. The official music video below of From Paradise is one of the most beautifully shot and poignant Australian song-music videos I have seen.

She was born
In the river land
Born of her mother, into her mother’s hands
She was free, as the river was wild
She was so innocent
Such a beautiful child

Then they took her away
From Paradise
Where everything was beautiful
And very nice

They took her away
Her mother’s tongue
Slapped her around a little bit
To teach her another one

In and out of institutions
What could they do with this child
Where was the neat solution
There was nothing they could do
So they gave her to the street
And she joined all the rest of the hungry and the tired feet

And they took her away
From Paradise
Where everything was beautiful
And very nice

They took her away
Her mother’s tongue
Slapped her around a little bit
To teach her another one

And the XXXXXXX don’t swim here anymore
And the XXXXXXX swim here anymore

She met a boy
Who kind of knew
Some of the things that she was going through

But he was confused
So he ran away
She found him again
And here she is today

And they took her away
From Paradise
Where everything is beautiful
And very nice

They took her away
Her mother’s tongue
Slapped her around a little bit
To teach her another one

Took her away from paradise
Away from paradise
Away….Away….Away from Paradise…

Jamu Dreaming is Archie Roach’s second studio album. The album was released in May 1993 and peaked at number 55 on the ARIA (Australia) Charts. The album was recorded with musical assistance from David Bridie, Tiddas, Paul Kelly, Vika and Linda Bull, Ruby Hunter, Dave Arden and Joe Geia. ‘Jamu’ is the Pitjanjatjara word for grandfather or old one (p. 242, Roach’s autobiography, 2019).

He gave us – and all of Australia – an image of an Aboriginal man, tender and humble. An image long denied us … Through his life, his dedication to Aunty Ruby, his devotion to his sons, his work with disengaged youth and his profound love for his people, Uncle Archie gave the nation an image of an Aboriginal man seldom found in the national psyche …
–  Euahlayi scholar Bhiamie Williamson

References:
1. Archie Roach – Wikipedia
2. Jamu Dreaming – Wikipedia