Green songs
PAUL KELLY
A lullaby that laments climate inaction.
WHY I WROTE THIS SONG
Sleep, Australia, Sleep is a lament in the form of a lullaby.
Paradoxically, it can also be heard as a wake up call – a critique of the widespread attitude amongst humans that we are the most important life form on the planet.
I believe we’ve reached a tipping point now where this attitude is doing terrible harm to all life on earth. I hope the song doesn’t come true but some of it already has.
I am concerned that activity and inactivity is proving perilous life on our planet. Through deforestation, development on wetlands, use of pesticides, introduced of foreign fauna and flora, man made climate change and other anthropocentric activities we are rapidly wiping out thousands of species of insects, birds and other creatures. And when little things go bigger things follow.
