by John Williamson

What am I gonna do - what about the future?
Gotta draw the line without delay
Why shouldn't I get emotional - the bush is sacred
Ancient life will fade away

Over the hill they go, killing another mountain
Gotta fill the quota - can't go slow
Huge machinery wiping out the scenery
One big swipe like a shearer's blow

Rip rip woodchip - turn it into paper
Throw it in the bin, no news today
Nightmare, dreaming - can't you hear the screaming?
Chainsaw, eyesore - more decay

Remember the axemen knew their timber
Cared about the way they brought it down
Crosscut, blackbutt, tallowood and cedar
Build another bungalow - pioneer town

I am the bush and I am koala
We are one - go hand in hand
I am the bush like Banjo and Henry
It's in my blood - gonna make a stand

Rip rip woodchip - turn it into paper
Throw it in the bin, no news today
Nightmare, dreaming - can't you hear the screaming?
Chainsaw, eyesore - more decay

Rip rip woodchip - turn it into paper
Throw it in the bin - don't understand
Nightmare, dreaming - can't you hear the screaming?
Stirs my blood - gonna make a stand

© 1989 Emusic Pty Ltd

"I am still devastated that we are logging old growth/habitat forests that will never return to their former glory. Greedy woodchip companies have been guaranteed supply by our governments for years ahead. They can tell us all the hogwash they like but the truth is they are turning our diverse forests into mono and duo culture tree farms. I was even conned into believing that the checker-board system of logging was beneficial to our wildlife. That is, clearing fifty acre blocks and leaving the next fifty acres alone 'til later. They told me the cycle would be about 70 years to allow trees to provide habitat . Well I have recently found out that in NSW they are turning the forests over in half that time. Just more lies. They leave only large seeds trees of one or two species useful for timber or woodchip anyway.

There are 20,000 hectares of old growth forests being wood chipped in Tasmania alone.

These forests belong to all of us. How dare these timber companies 'lord' it over us. Ask them how much they give to governments towards election funds?"