Songman – the story of an aboriginal elder –

“Like other members of the Aboriginal Stolen Generation, Bob Randall was taken from his family by white authorities. He was seven years old. As an adult he began the long process of finding his family again, being educated and establishing a career as an Aboriginal educator. He is now a renowned singer and performer, whose song ‘My Brown Skin Baby The Take Him Away’ has become a major rallying cry for the Stolen Generation.

Woven through Bob Randall’s story like the Rainbow Serpent is a clear account of the Aboriginal worldview and philosophy. With great simplicity, he explains the Aboriginal principles of belief including the network of responsibilities binding all things together and its connections with the Dreaming, place, family and relationships and the spirit or soul. He links Aboriginal and Christian beliefs, and draws parallels with other world religions such as Buddhism.

At once a gripping autobiography and an outstandingly lucid account of Aboriginal spirituality and belief, Songman is a unique and compelling book.”