John Williamson - True Blue | Reaction 

I love reading yall comments and getting the real meaning of this song I knew it was deeper

True blue means grass roots Aussie, hard working, salt of the earth people, it’s a song for the patriot in most Aussies, a song full of Aussie pride, standing by your mate when he’s in a fight, or just vegemite, as Aussie as it get

The song is about Australian values, and Australian identity, our culture. True Blue is a slang saying for ‘very Australian’. If you’re true blue you’re a good person.

John wrote this song because we were loosing our Australian identity. Our assets were being sold off to overseas interests and our kids sounding American.

True Blue is something only an Aussie will understand straight away. It's not a person but a culture.

This song brings a tear to every Occa Aussies eye. Heres to all the True Blue Aussies out there!

Steve Irwin's favourite song. John Williams performed it at Steve's memorial service at Australia Zoo. If someone says you are "True Blue" every Australian would take that a a huge compliment. It means a true Australia, old fashioned values, standing by your mate, your best mate or any other Australian male or female. Sell us out like sponge cake, is referring to when all our minerals were or have been sold off overseas, mining leases, control of our own lands, sold to companies in other countries etc. John is an environmentalist and is very protective of his country on a lot of levels. This is a very special song to lots of Aussies IT IS NOT ABOUT A DOG, as the blurb said, it is about what it means to be a REAL AUSSIE, a good aussie. Asking us, have we lost our real identity? or is it still there? For instance, Aussies historically call hot potato chips: Chips not Fries as the US and other countries do, and yet younger Australians may now call them Fries, just as an example. If you lose your language, that is a slippery slop to losing your identity

"True Blue" refers to being a true Australian. An Australian in spirit and identity. I take the "Is it me and you, Is it mum and dad" lyrics to refer to the Australian spirit being difficult to pin down, and something that can be found in many different people and things, but also the fear that it's being lost to influence from overseas ("did they sell us out..."). "She'll be right" is a common phrase in Australian slang which loosely translates as "It will be ok".

True Blue. A very important phrase in Aussie culture. Short for True Blue Aussie. It's about mate ship, helping others and standing up for whats right with a love for country and fellow Australians.

True Blue is the spirit of the quintessential old time Aussie. John Williamson is a poet/songwriter/storyteller of Australia. It’s a song lamenting the dying race of the “true blue” Australian.

Mate, I love that you are getting the message of this song without being Australian. You know it's more than just a song. It's about the Aussie spirit, the ANZAC spirit.... and how it might get lost along with all the new stuff that's happened. It's not about race, it's not about if you were born here, or chose to live here. It's about the spirit of Australia. Standing by your mates, no matter what. Standing by everyone.

I don't consider him a country singer but more an Aussie folk singer. His style and accent is True Aussie. Yet more so, like I am Australian by the Seekers, this song touches us all deeply, as Australians. It reminds us that being Australian is unique and our culture is worth preserving. We should be proud to be Australian and what that has represented through the years on so many levels. I know this may seem difficult to grasp at first if you live overseas, but Aussies are subtle in our pride for this country but none the less passionate. This song is part of us all. Great you have reacted to this. This song never gets old!

Personally, I’ve always seen this as a protest song. Australian Politicians of every stripe are always proclaiming themselves as “True Blue.” Decrying anything they disagree with as “un-Australian.” This song asks us to define what true blue means for ourselves. It reminds us that while they are shouting their nationalistic rhetoric, we’re also being sold out to the highest bidder. It’s a beautiful song, reminding us that “true blue” means different things to different people. Asking us to question anyone that claims the spirit of Australia is dying.

True Blue is an Aussie attitude. Never give up, pick yourself up when you’re down, or when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, but still able to find the strength to help others. It’s uniquely Australian and a true Aussie anthem

iconic song & artist. True Blue as in "True Blue Aussie" and plays to the stereotype of the old style Aussie and all the things that make us Australian. He performed True Blue at Steve Irwin's funeral, which I am led to believe was telecast all over the world to 300 million viewers (not sure how they know this but anyway). The Funeral performance is worth watching, it is on youtube.

True Blue is Australian slang for mateship, standing by your friends, being loyal to someone, helping them when they need it.

I would never have recommended this one for you - it is truly JUST Australian, you really have to be born here to know what it's all about. John Williamson is an icon, he has written some wonderful songs, and is an amazingl showman, I've seen him many times.

This was the song we put to my Dad's memorial video ...it summed him up beautifully, he was a True Blue Aussie, raised a country boy, fought for his country in WWII, genuine, very loyal & embraced Australian values - as True Blue as you can get ... and yes in some ways my dad's generation, is disappearing "of another dying race " ...as Australia changes.

As an Australian, this song brings tears to my eyes after just a few notes. Look at the photos in the video, that's who true blue is.

Brings back the memories of being a kid travelling in the car with my family going to see our relatives in the Riverland listening to Rip Rip Woodchip. If John Farnham is Australia's voice then John Williamson is its heart.

The song is about the “essence” of what it means to be an Aussie. True Blue is a term of what it means to be Australian. John is singing to all Australians.

Every time you listen to another Aussie artist, you’re becoming a little more of a true blue Aussie. Love your reactions.

True Blue is a dinky di, fair dinkum Australian. It's a song about what being Australian is all about, our values, our community spirit, the we're-all-in-it-together mentality, therefore you help your mates. The song speaks to all Australians ;)

I take my hat of to you because you are not Australian but you show respect to us! True Blue is a loyal friend, family member or countryman .We Australian’s and we like to believe that we are “True Blue”, and look after each other through thick and thin!

John Williamson is a storyteller. His performance is more about the story than his performance. True Blue means - Very genuine, very loyal; expressing Australian values; Australian. This derives from a British English sense of true blue, recorded from the 17th century with the meaning 'faithful, staunch, unwavering in one's commitments or principles; extremely loyal'.

John Robert Williamson AM (born 1 November 1945) is an Australian country music and folk music singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, television host and conservationist. Williamson usually writes and performs songs that relate to the history and culture of Australia, particularly the outback, in a similar vein to Slim Dusty and Buddy Williams before him. Williamson has released over fifty albums, ten videos, five DVDs, and two lyric books and has sold more than 4,000,000 records in Australia. His best known hit is "True Blue". On Australia Day (26 January) in 1992 Williamson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) with the citation: "for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues". He has received twenty-six Golden Guitar trophies at the Country Music Awards of Australia, he has won three ARIA Music Awards for Best Country Album and, in 2010, was inducted into the related Hall of Fame. Peace out.

Another iconic Australian song - true blue means a real genuine Australian.. “smoko” means a work break (even if you’re not smoking)! This was sung at Steve Irwin’s funeral and used to have the word Vegemite in it but they insisted it be removed! The song is asking the question is the spirit of the real Australia still with us or is it slipping away in the modern world.

"The Story of True Blue" is the musical about a Blue Heeler Dog..... The song itself has nothing to do with a dog. As others have mentioned... It's about salt of the earth Australians. Good, honest, hardworking folks that stand up for what is right and speak up to wrongdoing. Mateship, Fair Go, Pitch in.... the things we believe in and hold dear as Aussies.

Now understanding the meaning of the song, if you really want the feels, watch the live version where he sings it at Steve Irwin’s funeral send off, big feels

You’re an honorary “true blue” Aussie Nick! And so say all of us 🇦🇺🙏❤️

Wow. Now you're hitting the hard core Aussie country. John Williamson. Not the greatest singer (imo), but writes some really great lyrics and a real Aussie as Aussie bloke.. Went to a concert years ago, with not great expectations, but really enjoyed it. He's a good showman live in a laid back way.

True Blue - to be Authentic Australian with courage, integrity and loyalty to be there for “your mates” (ie your friends). The start of the song says it’s a dying race - ie the loss of the “true blue” culture. Yeah maybe a reference there to our people being sold out by politicians - government policy has seen Australian manufacturing largely disappear and our land which is rich in natural resources being sold off to foreign investors for mining. This was an absolute classic when I was growing up.

Omg...".is this about a dog?" 🤣🤣 Love your genuine reaction of confusion

he played this at Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's funeral as it was his fave song

What is the meaning behind True Blue? Very genuine, very loyal true blue. Very genuine, very loyal; expressing Australian values; Australian. This derives from a British English sense of true blue, recorded from the 17th century with the meaning 'faithful, staunch, unwavering in one's commitments or principles; extremely loyal'.

Goosebumps every-time with True Blue :) I love when you are so honest about not understanding these Aussie songs - if you got it first go, I'd be worried!

Mate this is very Australian. It is a song about our heritage and asking for us to embrace it. I am an older Australian and the footage in this video brings back my childhood as if it was yesterday. This is why you have the best music reaction channel on RU-vid. Thank you for this reaction. It will endear you even more to us Australians. Cheers

I seem to like when you have to think. Great reaction. You are True Blue

Ah good old John, growing up we listened to his albums back to front. Crocodile roll and Boogie with my baby are my daughters favourites.

True Blue is the essence of an Australian.

Written in the mid 80's, True Blue's lyrics such as "Will they sell us out like sponge cakes" relates to the Australian Government of the day had been opening the Australian economy up to the world and attracting a lot of foreign investment. This felt to many that the Government was putting foreign business interests ahead of Australian business. So there's a lot to True Blue; Mateship, being true to oneself and others, not giving up, etc. John Williamson has many quality songs including comic songs including Teach Me How To Drive Dad and The Vasectomy Song.

True blue is every Aussie Male Female it dose not matter. If you stand up for your friend's and community just being true Aussie.

Being true blue is sticking to your word, standing up for your mates, whats right, and for pride in the the land we all live on!! You sir are fair dinkum true blue aussie mate and are welcome here ANYTIME! Thankyou for exposing my favorite music that we allngrew up on over here, to the rest of the world!

Literally just escorted John Williams at work, Security detail. Friendliest guy ever.

Any hardworking down to earth Aussie, man or woman is “true blue” This song is often played at funerals.

True Blue is similar to a lot of the songs American artists have been bringing out for the last 10 years or so, it is wondering if the values and behaviours that made us unique still exist. It was released in 1995, around the time we were 1st experiencing our jobs and companies being sold overseas (at least in huge amounts). I'll have ago at interpreting. V1. Hey people who still embody old Australian values, please don't tell me your gone, hopefully you're just taking a break and you'll be back. V2. Look me in the eye and tell me the truth, does being Australian still mean something? Do Australian values still exist? V3. Are we still Aussies? Is it just our parents? Do we still stand by our mates? Or is it just something that we use to sell products like vegemite? V4. So those that still live by Aussie values, can you carry the torch, are we still people that will do whatever it takes to get the job done? V5. If so Aussies, tell me true, are you up for the fight, If they keep selling our resources, industry and jobs overseas, will you fight back? Chorus twice. Hope that helps.

this is who John Robert Williamson AM is an Australian country music and folk music singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, television host and conservationist. and he also sings Home among the gum trees, Old Man Emu, Rip, Rip Woodchip and meany more. true blue. Very genuine, very loyal; expressing Australian values; Australian

Have been listening to John Williamson since I was a kid. Took my mum to see his 50 year Anniversary show last year, (2020 covid cancelled) Old Man Emu was released in 1970.

The song not only relates to who is a ‘true blue’ Australian. but it also alludes to calling on the little man to be true to his roots and culture and help preserve it. Standing up to a government that sold us out to foreign investors and interests.

Another of our great anthem songs, that will have the crowd singing along at a concert, and often with a lump in our throat or tear in our eye.

Australia 🇦🇺- Love ❤️ Aussies - Some of the Best folks on planet earth! 🇺🇸❤️🇨🇦👋🏾👵🏽✨🪶✨🪶✨🪶

We played this for my Pops funeral 21 years ago, I wad 9. It was the first time I ever saw my Dad cry. He made it through the whole funeral until this song.

The term "True Blue" in Australia means, Very genuine, very loyal; expressing Australian values; Australian. This derives from a British English sense of true blue, recorded from the 17th century with the meaning 'faithful, staunch, unwavering in one's commitments or principles; extremely loyal'. I love the way you try to work it out :)

John Williamson is such a great story teller with his music and has been around since the 70’s I live very close to his hometown and a lot of relatives still are around the area.

Iconic Aussie singer and song. When they had the Olympic torch relay around Australia for the Sydney Olympics there was a big party in a mining town called Mt Isa. Among the acts playing was John Williamson, when it started pissing down rain he stopped signing and asked if anyone wanted to go home. The answer was a resounding no way from the crowd, so John launched back into it and sang on much to the delight of everyone there. He was ringing wet by the end and was still having a ball.

I’m impressed that you got the vibe and emotion of the song without knowing what the expression “true blue” is. John Williamson conveys the emotion well. Your “ooh” when you looked it up was quite. It is a deep song

Love this song. John also sang this at Steve Irwin's funeral, so sad😔. Love how you try to break it down Nick 👏👏👏😍

If your True Blue is all of us who are and love Australian. Share the same values of what it means to be Australian

Williamson wrote this during the 80's when farming communities were being devastated by high interest rates and banks foreclosing on them with shady tactics. John was a farmer, so there is some real emotional resonance in this song. He has always represented those living in our Aussie bush.

This song always reminds me of my Poppy 💕

This was my grandmother’s favourite, she used to play the vinyl all the time ✨💜

You may find this a bit of a long explanation but hopefully it will help you to understand not only this song but some of the other Australian artists that you have heard. To truly understand this song you have to understand the origins of 'white Australia' and the mentality that developed as a result of that. We were settled as a penal colony in a harsh foreign environment full of some of the deadliest snakes, spiders and animals in the world 3 months travel away from England. These people (both the convicts and the free settlers) had to learn to rely on each other for help in any situation that arose. And sometimes that help could be 100 kilometres (60 miles) away, if not more. You had to be willing to both accept and offer help from/to a total stranger as it could quite literally mean the difference between life and death. Until the 1940's - 1950's Australia was mainly populated by white Australians that were of British, Irish and Scottish heritage when people started migrating from other European countries for job opportunities. We are now a very multicultural society with citizens from nearly every country and continent in the world. And a second language other than English being spoken in those homes. In a sense to be 'True Blue' is someone's willingness to help another person out, even a stranger, from anything as simple as stopping to help them when they've broken down or bogged, right up to, and including, life and death situations eg: bushfires (think along the lines of the California wildfires) to floods that can have whole towns underwater. The fire brigades in rural Australia are manned by a majority of volunteers. The State and Territory Emergency Services (SES/TES) across Australia have over 43,000 volunteers go out to help people at any given time. In a sense, epitomising what it is to be 'True Blue'. The true blue mentality is still very much prevalent in the Top End (Northern Territory and Western Australia mainly) due to the thousands of kilometres that can be travelled before you see another person. In regards to the lyrics: A 'smoko' is any time that you have a break during your hours of being at work for the day. 'Give it me straight' is to be upfront and honest with someone. 'Is it standing by your mate when he's in a fight?' refers to the depth of loyalty you have to your friends and family. 'Will you tie it up with wire, Just to keep the show on the road?' is about coming up with a makeshift solution to keep going and get to where you have to or do what you need to do until you can fix it properly. Hope that this explanation has helped you even though it is quite long😁

So gorgeous seeing you watch this. True Blue just means the Aussie Spirit.

Who can forget when John Williamson sang this at Steve Irwin's memorial service. Tears all around.

True blue, she’ll be right,…. This song is full of old aussie colloquialisms. This is talking about the Australian spirit. What us aussies used to be, as he said a dying race….. always willing to help a neighbour, hard working, always there for a mate even at your own peril. This is who Australians used to be, what a lot still are, this is about pride, true blue aussie pride

Yes! Good choice! If you're going to start reaction to John Williamson, this is definitely the one to start with. Farnham and Jimmy Barnes are Australia's Rock n Roll Icons. Kylie Minogue, Jessica Maubouy, and Shannon Noll are the Pop Icons. Tina Arena, is both, plus a little R&B. John Williamson is our 'folk music' icon. Think of all the songs Cowboys would sing around a campfire. In Australia, we didn't have cowboys, we had Outback Bushmen. That kind of music is JW all over. Down here we call him 'the voice of Australia', because he does all the Outback songs. 'True Blue', 'Home Among the Gumtrees', 'This is Australia Calling'.

My dear old Gran, God rest her soul, loved country music so very much. I used to listen to Nick Herbys Country Music Jamboree on the wireless ( as we call it ) on the weekend. John Williamson became one of her favourites before she left us.

Tru Blue Aussie. Pride in your country, land, we’re you come from.

Great Song! Brings back a great memory from a camping trip I did in Red centre.... We where campin at Uluru and at 5am, still a chandelier of stars in the sky, our tour guide cranked this song full noise to wake everyone up haha I had never really listened to the song before that moment and it really hit home, and continues to do so everytime I hear it since then 🍻

The classic Australian cattle dog is the Queensland Blue Heeler. They have a smokey grey coat that looks sort of blue coloured, hence the name. They are tough, hard working, and fairly obstinate dogs that get stepped on by cattle a lot, but it doesn't even slow them down. This is an example of the "true blue" spirit of Australia. Another example, in this video is the bloke cutting wood with an axe. He's wearing a Chesty Bonds Singlet (USA calls them 'beaters', which I hate. It's short for 'wife-beater', an ugly term). The Chesty Bonds Singlet is an Aussie icon. He's wearing a navy blue, also called 'Truck Driver Blue' singlet, which is the truest of true blue singlet worn by Aussie labourers, farmers, and of course, truck drivers. White singlets are for sport (including, ironically, wood chopping), and black ones for pub rock musos like me. This video shows Surf Life Savers in Speedos and many true blue Aussie things. Note the Speedo brand got 'sold out like sponge cakes' back in the 1980's and is now held by a San Francisco firm. John Williamson having a little dig at the loss of the true blue spirit. Along with Arnotts biscuits, and the Ugg boot, and a lot of other Aussie institutions. This also show the Australian contribution to laundry...the Hills Hoist clothesline. It also shows the other great Aussie tradition for kids of SWINGING on the Hills Hoist. It doesn't show the third great tradition associated with it....having your Mum paddle your arse for swinging on the Hills Hoist. It happened to me in about 1972 aged four.

We played this at my dads funeral last year. The lyrics tell my dads story like they were written for him 🥰

True blue means the essence of who Australians are. We were going through a hard time in Australia and this song was written to encourage us that who we were was still there and we'd get through and see better days. And we did.

True Blue - true Australian soul, authentic Australian. The substance not the show.

That was a fair dinkum reaction and I loved it!

This was played at Steve Irwin’s funeral. It was so apt and just so heartbreaking. Beautiful ❤️

I cry every time I hear this song.

True blue is an Australian folk Anthem (not country). True blue means the Australian flag,,and what we stand for as a country. The song speaks of the mate ship we hold for each other "as Australians' , even in our hardest times and we have each others back. (in a nutshell way of explaining it )

This is a song for the country folk. They don't have a lot of the fancy stuff that city folk enjoy. A lot are laborers (farmers) who live in small communities that have very strong bonds. But the city life encroaches, businesses come and buy up things, farms, products etc. The "True Blue" Aussie is dying out, being slowly eaten up by modern times. It's his lament to the people of the land past and present and he is almost mourning the potential loss of the future True Blue Aussies. Will you be true Blue, will you value the people of the past and carry it into the future. The song is from 1982, the "Cattle Dog" thing is a 2009 story, nothing to do with the song's origins or what the song is about. That story (Musical) uses the song which they got John in on BUT the song is not about that at all.

John is my personal favourite singer of all time, the first CD I owned was one of his and I loved it so much that the next 20 CD’s I bought were also his. I’m so happy you’ve reacted to True Blue. It makes me homesick and nostalgic about my childhood whenever I hear this.

True Blue to the core and proud of it.

Been enjoying you go through the great ol classic aussie songs mate, and loving how you interpret the songs before finding out the 'real' message in it, or the strayan slang meanings. Keep up the good work mate

True Blue = Fair dinkum Aussie. Fair dinkum = genuine or authentic.

Nick this is one of my all time favourite songs, I nicknamed my oldest grandson True Blue he’s nearly 15 and I still call him that because I put my hope in him carrying on the fair dinkum Aussie traditions of mateship and the pride we have in our Country. This song is as Aussie as it gets. It comes from the saying I’m a true blue fair dinkum Aussie and proud of it.

True blue is the expression of a good hearted aussie with the great Aussie personality

'True Blue' = honest, loyal, true, - 'Fair Dinkum' means similar - 'She'll be right' - Everything will be OK - It's a very Australian cultural thing being a mate and being true and loyal - 'True blue' is not a person but a kind of person you are as an Australian.

There are different Aussie accents and you got the broad one here. You may have missed words along the way. "She'll be right" is used a lot in Aussie terms meaning everything is OK. True blue means someone is honest. I think the story is about the government and the jobs going in manufacturing and farming etc. Cabal really deliberately did it to Australia - sold lots of farms to the Chinese, sold out the Holden industry that employed lots of people and we used to have our own cars etc. Not just that but bringing down the Aussie economy and of course that means Cabal govt interference.

True Blue is all of us Aussies and we're still going on, standing by our mates. With strong hearts.

True Blue... a honest to good mate ( friend ) who always has your back and is always there when you need them most... true blue..

Forty years after it's release this song is still so good. Never knew it was about a blue cattle dog, a bush fire and Shannon Noll was only 7 yrs old when this song came out so I don't know of his input then. The song is an observation of our disappearing culture.

I love this song, it makes me proud to be a true blue Aussie , even if my dad was born overseas. Its all about having a true blue attitude of "she'll be right" and "sticking by your mates"...

True grit aussie performer.. Luv him.. Luv his music.. And yes hes a real aussie artist! ♥️ ♥️ ♥️

True blue is one of the best songs ever written to describe the Australian personality …. Survivors, true mates..

True Blue is a state of mind in being Australian. that is about being honest, respectful, genuine and supporting your family, your community and your country and not selling out or selfishness. It's about openheartedness. A lot of Australian music is about universal attributes rather than individuals.

Aussie here. Bloody love this song. It’s so Australian.

True blue is in every single Australian no matter who or where they are on this earth, it is our way of life deep in our blood, it is our mateship and comradery for each other especially through tough times, it’s the essence of Australia the air we breath from the moment we are born. It’s just who we are and proud to be.

The term True Blue in this song represents the Australian spirit and the values of the people.

Tru Blue=Australian. This song epitomises our cultures, our mateship, our Aussie way of life! Love this song❤

This is bringing me to tears, we are losing our identity as an Australian . We have lost it as the meaning of what we are.

Bloody legend!!

I'm not usually a country fan, but John Williamson has a knack for inspiring patriotism, love for the culture, the landscape and the fauna of our country. I love that you understood it was a meaningful song, even though the language of the lyrics was unfamiliar to you. Further proof that music is a universal language. His lyrics are reminiscent of Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson, who are the definitive Australian 'bush' poets.