Rip Rip Woodchip Lyrics
John Williamson
Lyrics
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
Song & Lyrics Facts
John Williamson's "Rip Rip Woodchip" is a classic Australian country music song released in 1981 on the album Warragul. Written by John Williamson and John Schumann, it was recorded with The Dead Ringer Band.
Lyrics of the song tell the story of an old woodchopper who has seen better days but still works hard to make ends meet. The chorus repeats the words “rip rip woodchip” which symbolise the sound of his axe chopping away as he works. The lyrics also touch upon themes of environmentalism and the destruction of nature due to deforestation. Released in 1981, "Rip Rip Woodchip" remains one of Australia's most beloved songs to this day.