Queensland

Apr 28, 2011 • Nick Payne

This is my classic road song in the vain of Paul Kelly’s “Love Never Runs on Time”.

The chord progression arrived out of nowhere one lazy Saturday morning when I was playing guitar on the couch - it immediately reminded me of Ryan Adams. The song progressed quickly when Lyn started singing a harmony over the chorus. A couple of train trips to work later (one of my favourite places for lyric-writing) and we had a complete song.

The lyrics mention some of my favourite places to travel to. Look carefully and you may find a homage to the seminal 80’s protest band Goanna. There’s also something close to a political statement hidden in there as well (I’m interested to hear if anyone picks them).

I feel there should be a fourth verse to conclude the song because all good road trips must come to end when one heads back to home sweet home. As it is it feels unfunished to me - like the cars broken down and the journey has ended abruptly. Lyn of course thinks that another verse would make the song too long... but she says that about all my songs.

Queensland
Payne/Taylor 

I'm heading out of Sydney couldn’t last another week
This city life is tiring and I can't get no sleep
I'm heading north to Queensland I'm driving in my car
It's only been hour and I haven't got that far

CHORUS
Cruising out on the open road
The journey matters doesn't matter where I go
Anything is possible out on the open road

I got a friend in Noosa I told her I'll be there
To pick her up on Tuesday and we can go somewhere
Away from all the people we’ll sleep out on the sand
And drink in all the beauty and spirit of this land

Gonna head out to the desert where you can see the stars
We'll drive the red dust highway when we turn off the tar
We'll camp along the Darling hear it's waters flow
In all this world of worry there's no place I'd rather go