Gonna Be Home Soon

These are the lyrics for a song that was sung at the Thank You Concert on 1st July.
For the last 12 years I have organised what came to be known as the Dawn Chorus, a loose group of volunteers (teachers) who would meet up with me at 8am in the Music Department on the last Friday of every term, to prepare and perform for the staff a song with satirical im/complications - some hitting the mark, others hopefully missing with a measure of grace...

On Thursday evening the tables were turned momentarily when a bunch/chorus of teachers (including ALL SMT, which is remarkable for any school - our school has the best musical staff support EVER) came to the front and sang this - the tune is from Crowded House's Better Be Home Soon, and the lyrics are by Malcolm McAllister, a very dear colleague whose humour and support are wondrous and luminous.

Enjoy!

Gonna Be Home Soon (for Gerald)

Somewhere deep inside
You've left your impression
On your friends here at the school
You've been a blessing

And we know it's hard
Leaving a place you love
But we're gonna tell you
You're gonna be home soon

You are the man of the
Whare Puuoro
You'd thrash that guitar and
Leap right across the floor

And some junior kids
Thought you were high on weed
But you were a rocker
On a roll at full speed

You have your faith and your family
And you'll hold all of us
In your memory
Oh...oh, oh

You gave your all
To us here in the PPTA
Defending our jobs
Our dignity and our pay

And those shows you put on,
Bob Marley to Beethoven
Wearing a silly hat
And your wicked grin...

You love lots of styles,
Abba, Yusuf to Vampire Weekend,
And there's those special songs
That you both sung and penned

"Good Golly, Miss Tolley",
"Do the Moderation" you'd shout
And you were the oldest fan
At every year's Big Day Out.

There's so much we'll miss,
Like kids wearing just one shoe,
But your courage and warmth
Is what we prize in you.

And we know it's hard
Leaving a place you love,
But we're gonna tell you,
You're gonna be home soon.


......thanks, guys!!