Cattle and Cane by The Go-Betweens

'Cattle and Cane' is a signature song by The Go-Betweens, one of the most critically acclaimed Australian bands of the 1980s. It is an autobiographical reminiscence by Grant McLennan (who wrote the song with Robert Forster) of a train trip home to North Queensland as a schoolboy. The song was written and recorded by a homesick McLennan in London and the lyrics mention several natural features of the distant (in space and memory) Australian landscape: cattle, cane, tin, timber and fire (cinders). The music has a dreamy, atmospheric quality that matches the introspective theme of the lyrics. In 2001 the Australasian Performing Rights Association voted 'Cattle and Cane' one of the Top Thirty Australian songs of all time.

Rough Trade RT124