Author Archives: admin

DEBORAH CONWAY INDUCTED AS LIVING LEGEND FOR THE 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS

This is the speech I made accepting the National Live Music Awards – NLMAs for 2019’s Living Legend. It was pretty amazing to come out on that stage to a standing ovation before I had even opened my mouth. Thank you all so much, you made an old lady very happy. 

Thank you NLMA for this honour which in 2019 marks 40 years since I became a musician. I think my first gig was at an RMIT Archi Review night, attended by then young architecture student Ted Baillieu – he went on to become Premier of Victoria & I went on to do a shit load more gigs!
In early 1980 I joined Melbourne prog rock band The Benders & played for 8 months in a lot of venues though not to a lot of people, I perfected the onstage bosom flash at the drummer to see if he would skip a beat, he never did.
We both got jack of it & within the year had run away to Sydney to form a band. In response to the excessive playing we did with The Benders Do-Re-Mi’s first shows avoided the beer barns and grungier clubs & instead opted for Art spaces. After we were signed by management & record companies & the first single from our debut album became a surprising chart topper, we hit the road big time, around 300 gigs in that year. Wonderful memories of bellowing out Bring The Hammer Down at The Trade Union Club; playing Standing On Wires at the ANU with frenzied crowds hurling toilet rolls at the stage as stand-ins for streamers; playing Man Overboard to 100,000 people at The Milk Festival in The Hague, Amsterdam in 1986 and the Oz for Africa concert at Sydney Entertainment Centre that was televised around the world was unforgettable.
We supported Culture Club, UB40, Simple Minds, too many to remember over 8 years.
And then we went our separate ways.

I launched my solo career in 1989, after a few false starts & eventually recorded what become String of Pearls. It came out in 1991 and me and my band, The Mothers Of Pearl – featuring the late great Peter Jones on drums – cranked up for a year long tour. Bitch Epic came out in 1993 & me & the Mothers (who I should have renamed Sons of Bitches) hit the road again.
Ultrasound was a band project with the much missed Paul Hester & there was more touring to accompany it – but the show I remember most from that year was a duo with Willy (or was it a trio) performance at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on the 10th of February 1995, memorable for the gasp that went up from the audience as me & my 8 and1/2 month pregnant belly bounced up & down on the stage – our first daughter was born 3 days later, probably due to the aforementioned aerobics & maybe not curiously now she also treads the boards.
Touring & pregnancy became inextricably linked after that, projectile vomiting is not unknown in both circles & there were a couple of shows in 1997 memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Still the red sequinned dress with the gold mesh cutout heart edged with rhinestones & stretched over my belly was a crowd favourite & the ensuing progeny – 2nd daughter – has become a gifted singer in her own right.
I have so much to be grateful for playing with so many extraordinary musicians that I’ve toured with over 4 decades of live music performance, – from lush Symphony orchestras, to spiky avant garde jazzers, from incredible chamber ensembles to darkly energised rock n rollers, the gorgeously talented participants of the 4 iterations of Broad concerts, the all female revue; the cast of Always Patsy Cline, the concerts in celebration of David Bowie and the countless completely acoustic Summerware parties or home concerts Willy & I pioneered in 2004 for thousands of lounge-room listeners.
There are so many people to thank over the course of a 40 year career & I haven’t time to mention everyone’s name – to all the wonderful men & women who I have ever been in a band with, some gone to G-d, though most still with us; you guys are the best of the best, to all the wonderful artists who have ever said yes to one of my hair-brained schemes; to Dorland Bray, Stephen Phillip, Helen Carter & Keith Welsh, to Michael Gudinski, Amanda Pelman, Frank Stivala, Richard Pleasance, Peter Farnan, Andrée Greenwell, Jon Nichols, Mark O’Meara, Pierre Baroni, Roger Grierson, James Black, Gerry Hale, Dave Williams, Vika & Linda Bull,Jack Spira, Paulie Higgison, Miranda Brown, Deborah Murphy, Erica Hart, Kate Ceberano, Paul Grabowsky & Paul Mason; to my long suffering parents who sent me to a shrink when I joined my first band but who eventually became my biggest fans, to my sister Shellie who has been there through the thick & the thin, to our glorious grown up daughters who have provided songwriting inspiration & lent their vocal talents to shows & records, and to our stalwart fans the Bitch Listers (LJ, Pez, Groubes, you all know who you are) who support our shows & work so hard to spread the word beyond our coterie of followers – to all of you who have believed in our varied endeavours & unconventional methods – huge gratitude.

But let’s get back to 1991. I was putting a band together to embark on an extensive touring schedule to promote my debut album. One guitarist came highly recommended. Willy Zygier was a gifted player with an unusual pedigree having worked as a sideman jazzer for Vince Jones & other luminaries but had also led a number of his own alternative art bands.
He turned down my first offer saying his band had a gig. Not to be deterred & frankly intrigued to meet a musician who would turn down a year’s worth of touring for a single show, I pushed back my tour start date and tried again. We met for tea at my East St Kilda flat next to the Sandringham line & thus began a partnership that has produced more than 10 albums, 4 concert series of Broad, 3 children, 2 Jewish Music Festivals, countless live shows & concert tours and that has inspired me for the best part of the last 30 years. I believe the last three albums we have made constitute our best work so far and I think we have more to say! So tonight while I am absolutely thrilled to accept this wonderful accolade, it must be shared equally with my insanely talented husband, co-songwriter, collaborator, toughest critic, father of my 3 daughters & best friend Willy Zygier.
Homo sapiens have been participating in the creation of live music in some form or other for millennia for sacred & secular reasons. On the other hand the history of recorded music is a minuscule brief 130 years old though it’s had an incredible impact on how we think music should sound now. Ironically with the advent of increasingly sophisticated methods of both documenting and distributing recorded music we have come to an interesting historical moment in our industry, once again recorded music is secondary to live music, it is merely the calling card for the real deal which happens in venues from vast to intimate everywhere. Who could have predicted that, and what a wonderfully surprising outcome. While I have heard some despairing about the decline of record sales signalling the end of music, I prefer to believe it’s only the beginning….
Thank you everyone

World of Love (from the album Bitch Epic)

WORLD OF LOVE – CONWAY/ZYGIER

6/8

Intro

C   /Am   /F   /D Eb/

Verse

C   /Am   /F   /D Eb/ C   /Am   /F   /D Eb/

Am /C   /Am  /C   /Ab  /D Eb /D D7/D Eb/  x3

C   /C7   /

Bridge

FCD /F E /FCD /F C /

FCD /F E /FCD /3/8 F /

6/8 Solo

C   /Am   /F   /ID Eb/ C   /Am   /F   /D Eb/

Am /C   /Am /C   /Ab  /Ab  /

C   /Am   /F   /D Eb/ repeat & fade

Somewhere Different

Lyrics

I’D LIKE TO START OVER AGAIN
I’D TAKE MY TIME AND SEE THINGS YOUR WAY
NO WE WON’T RUSH
OH JUST NICE AND SLOW
YOU LEAD AND I’LL FOLLOW
TO SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT

MY POINT OF VIEW HAS TURNED AROUND
SINCE THE PAINT DRIED ON THIS PART OF TOWN
GONE, THE LATE NIGHT SONGS
WE SANG ALL WRONG
NOW I JUST SIT AND LONG
FOR SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT

SWEETHEART TIME APART WON’T MAKE
OUR LOVE MORE FAIR
BUT IT’S DIFFERENT SOMEWHERE

I’VE BEEN SINGING
MY FUNNY VALENTINE
AND DREAMING YOU’RE STILL MINE
SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT

Sheet Music

Somewhere Different — full score

It’s Not The Same Without You

Lyrics

I’M OUT ON A LIMB
IT’S LUCKY I CAN SING WITHOUT YOU
I CAN TWEET OR SQUAWK FOR SHOW
BUT I CAN’T CROW
BECAUSE I KNOW YOU’RE LONG GONE
YOU’RE NOT COMING HOME

IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU
NOONE TO BLAME WITHOUT YOU
I FEEL SO LAME WITHOUT YOU
COS IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU

I’VE SAT AROUND FOR HOURS
WRITING HEARTS AND FLOWERS WITHOUT YOU
I DON’T MEAN A WORD
AND IT’S NOT RINGING TRUE
I’M COMING UNSTUCK
AND I’VE RUN OUT OF GLUE
I’M STUPIDLY BLUE

IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU
NO HEAT IN MY FLAME WITHOUT YOU
I’M MISSING MY AIM WITHOUT YOU
COS IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU

I’VE SAID ALL THIS BEFORE
I CAN’T SING IT ANYMORE WITHOUT YOU
IF IT’S REALLY TRUE AND THIS TIME WE’RE THROUGH
I’D SELL MY SOUL BUT I CAN’T GIVE IT TO YOU
TOO OLD TO QUIT AND TOO YOUNG TO STEW
THOUGHT I’D PAID MY DUES BUT
FARWELL MY MUSE

IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU
I’M BOUND AND I’M TAME WITHOUT YOU
I GOT NO CLAIM WITHOUT YOU
I’M SO ASHAMED WITHOUT YOU
FROM BACK WHERE I CAME WITHOUT YOU
WHO’LL REMEMBER MY NAME WITHOUT YOU
IT’S THE END OF THE GAME WITHOUT YOU
COS IT’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU

Take Pity On The Beast

Lyrics

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
MAN LIVES HIS LIFE ON THE LEASH
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
TIL HIS BURDEN IS COMPLETE
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

I WAS WALKING (MY DOG) IN THE GARDENS
THE DAY RISING UP WITH THE SUN
A WELL DRESSED MAN IN LEATHER TOLD ME
I AM THE SON
I AM THE SON OF GOD, THE MESSIAH
AND I SEE EVERYTHING YOU DONE WRONG
BEFORE YOU IS REDEMPTION
THEN HE BLESSED ME AND WAS GONE

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
IT’S ALWAYS FAMINE NEVER FEAST
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
UNTIL THE SUN SETS IN THE EAST
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

MY GOOD FRIEND HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
TRUTHS WERE LEAKING OUT OF HER LIKE SHIT
SHE SAID MY WHOLE LIFE‘S A SICKNESS
I AM SICK
I AM SICK AND I’M A LIAR
AND I DRIP SADNESSS EVERYWHERE I GO
I SEE NO LIGHT, NO JOY, NO BEAUTY
THEN SHE SAYS BUT I’M GOING ON WITH THE SHOW

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
ONE DAY SOON HE’LL BE DECEASED
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
HE’S BEEN ROBBED AND HE’S BEEN FLEECED
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

HIS SKIN IS PAPER THIN AND WORN OUT
HIS BLUE EYES ARE VACANT LOTS
AS A YOUNG MAN HE WAS A SURVIVOR
OF THE HOLOCAUST
THE HOLOCAUST WAS HIS COMPANION
A LIFETIME AT HIS SIDE
NOW ALL THAT’S GONE WITH HIS MEMORY
AND ALL HE SAYS IS ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
HE KNOWS ENOUGH TO KNOW HE’S LEAST
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
WHEN HE’S CRUMPLED AND HE’S CREASED
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

I KNOW A MAN WHO DENIES HIS ESSENCE
HE IS A MAN WHO IS NOT AT ONE
WHEN HE SWALLOWS MOODS FROM A BOTTLE
HE IS BLIND DEAF DUMB
BLIND DEAF DUMB TO REASON
CRYING OUT FOR MORE
CHEMICALS AND CRAZY HORMONES
A ONE MAN SELF WAGED WAR

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
IF YOU’RE RABBI OR YOU’RE PRIEST
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
LIKE A LOVER JUST RELEASED
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

WE WERE SLAVES IN THE LAND OF EGYPT
WE WERE DOGS UNDER PHAROAH’S WHIP
‘TIL THE FIRST BORN LAY DYING
AND THE MOUNTAINS SKIPPED
THE MOUNTAINS SKIPPED THE JORDAN TURNED BACKWARDS
THE SEA SAW AND FLED
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
TREMBLED AND WEPT

WE LURCH FROM POST TO PILLAR
REPEATING OUR MISTAKES
IN EVERY GENERATION
WE ALL ACHE
WE ALL ACHE FROM OUR DESIRES
FROM ALL OUR MISPLACED TRUST
IN HEROS, GODS AND SCIENCE
BUT STILL WE ARE DUST TO DUST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
WHATEVER SCARE THEY PREACH
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
IT’S MILK SWEETER THAN IT’S MEAT
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
YOU GOTTA TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST
LIFE IS BRUTAL TIL IT’S CEASED
TAKE PITY ON THE BEAST

Spoken Like A Man

Lyrics

I SHARED MY BED WITH YOU HONEY
I SHARED ALL MY PILLOW TALK TOO
AND WHAT DID I GET IN RETURN FOR THAT?
A FEELING I SHOULD WATCH MY BACK

I SHARED MY HEAD WITH YOU HONEY
EVERY DREAM I EVER HAD
I STAYED HOME WHILE YOU TRAVELLED THE WORLD
YOU DIDN’T BRING DIAMONDS YOU NEVER BOUGHT ME PEARLS
BUT YOU’D STILL CALL ME YOUR GIRL

AND YOU SAID –
“ I LOVE YOU, I THINK I DO
I’M JUST CONFUSED, I NEED A BREAK
CAN YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND”
AND I THOUGHT –“ SPOKEN LIKE A MAN”

I SHARED MY LIFE WITH YOU HONEY
GAVE YOU MY SUPREMO YEARS
I SAID I’D BE PATIENT LET YOU WORK IT THROUGH
A MAN’S GOTTA DO WHAT HE DO

I SHARED MY TRUTH WITH YOU HONEY
BUT HONEY DID NOT SHARE IT WITH ME
I WAITED AT THE CROSSROAD WITH MY HEART OUT OF SHAPE
WAITING, AS IT TURNED OUT, FOR A TREACHEROUS SNAKE
COS YOU WERE JUST PLANNING A WAY TO ESCAPE
INTO ANOTHER’S ARMS

AND YOU SAID –
“ I LOVE YOU, I THINK I DO
I’M JUST CONFUSED, I NEED A BREAK
CAN YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND”
AND I THOUGHT –“ SPOKEN LIKE A MAN”

NOW YOU SAY WE CAN MAKE IT ALRIGHT
YOU WANT BACK IN MY BED AND MY HEAD AND MY LIFE
HONEY YOU CAN BEG ME FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE
BUT YOU AIN’T NEVER MY MAN

I SAID
“ I LOVED YOU, I REALLY DID
BUT I’M NOT CONFUSED, THERE’S NO MISTAKE
“YEAH I LOVED YOU, BUT THAT’S THE PAST TENSE
AND I’M NOT CONFUSED, THERE’S NO MISTAKE

AND I DON’T CARE IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND”

– SPOKEN LIKE A WOMAN

YOU CRY OUT LOUD A BOO

Say Goodbye To What Is Left

Lyrics

I MEANT EVERY WORD I EVER SAID
EVERY GOOD DEED IN MY HEAD
EVERY THOUGHT I EVER THOUGHT
AND EVERY SINGLE SALTY TEAR I SHED

AND I DON’T MIND IF YOU DISAGREE
JUST STRIKE ME OFF YOUR LIST
AND I DON’T CARE IF WE FIGHT SOMETIMES
COS I WON’T BREAK
AND I’M NOT SCARED
TO SAY GOODBYE TO WHAT IS LEFT

BUT IT SEEMS SO FAR FROM HERE
WHEN WHITE WAS WHITE AND BLACK WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR
YOU SAY I’VE STUMBLED BECAUSE I’VE SEEN
WHITE AS BLACK AND BLACK DARKER THAN A DREAM

EVERYBODY’S YELLING AT ME
EVERYBODYS MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE

YOU FUCKING KNOW IT ALL
YOU THINK YOU’VE SEEN THE LIGHT, WHAT’S RIGHT
BUT I KNOW WHAT’S LEFT

AND I DON’T MIND IF YOU DISAGREE
JUST STRIKE ME OFF YOUR LIST
AND I DON’T CARE IF WE FIGHT SOMETIMES
COS I WON’T BREAK
AND I’M NOT SCARED
I WON’T GET HURT
COS I DON’T CARE
I WON’T COMPLAIN
COS I’M NOT THE SAME
SO I SAY GOODBYE TO WHAT IS LEFT

Into The Blue

Lyrics

ROCK ME IN THE CRADLE
SING A LULLABYE
THE MOON IS BIG AND ROUND AND HIGH
WISH ME TALL AND GRACEFUL
WISH FOR ME TO FLY
AND WHEN I’M ABLE PLEASE DON’T CRY

DON’T COME FIND ME I’VE GONE WANDERING
DON’T KNOW WHERE I’M WANDERING TO
DADDY’S WORKING MAMA’S BUSY
I’M FALLING INTO THE BLUE

INTO THE BLUE, INTO THE BLUE, INTO THE BLUE
DADDY’S WORKING MAMA’S BUSY
I’M FALLING INTO THE BLUE

I’M GONNA BE A BALLERINA
WELL I’M GONNA BE A BIG STAR TOO
I’M GONNA CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN
AND WAVE A FLAG INTO THE BLUE

INTO THE BLUE, INTO THE BLUE, INTO THE BLUE
I’M GONNA CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN
AND WAVE A FLAG INTO THE BLUE

OUT THERE MOTHERS WAIT FOR CHILDREN
TO SLEEP SOUNDLY ALL NIGHT THROUGH
SOON THOSE CHILDREN WILL BE MOTHERS
AND WONDER WHAT THEIR CHILDREN DO

INTO THE BLUE, INTO THE BLUE, INTO THE BLUE
SOON THOSE CHILDREN WILL BE MOTHERS
SINGING OUT INTO THE BLUE