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Under the Southern Cross I Stand

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"Under The Southern Cross I Stand" is the victory song of the Australian cricket team.

It is typically sung by the players in the style of a raucous chant[1] after every victory and "treated with reverential consideration and respect" within the team.[2] The official lyrics are as follows, though when it is sung by the players, the word "little" in the last line is replaced by "fucking".[3]

Under the Southern Cross I Stand
A sprig of wattle in my hand,
A native of my native land,
Australia you little beauty.[4]

The authorship of this "Under the Southern Cross I Stand" is credited to former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who was apparently inspired by Henry Lawson's 1887 poem, "Flag of the Southern Cross".[2] Marsh initially had the role of leading the team in singing it, and on his retirement he passed it on to Allan Border. The other players to have taken on the role are David Boon (when Border took over the captaincy), Ian Healy (on Boon's retirement), Ricky Ponting (on Healy's retirement), Justin Langer (when Ponting took over the captaincy), and Michael Hussey (on Langer's retirement). Hussey has now passed it on to Nathan Lyon upon his retirement in January 2013.[5]

The song is based upon the chorus of the 1890s patriotic song “Australia; or Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand”, written by the Rev. Thomas Hilhouse Taylor (1861-1925).[6][7]

One source says that "The evidence suggests that this cricketers’ chant began as a patriotic song in the late 1890s, was turned into a military drinking song in the 1940s, and then finally developed into the victory song of the Australian cricket team in the 1970s. From such beginnings has this raucous verse become popular with cricket fans in particular, and with Australians in general."[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Video of Australian team singing Under the Southern Cross after 2007 World Cup victory". 2007-05-05.
  2. ^ a b Stevenson, Andrew (2007-01-02). "Tune in for a new voice in victory". The Age.
  3. ^ Langer, Justin. Australia You Little* Beauty: Inside Test Cricket's Dream Team. p. 5.
  4. ^ Cricket Australia FAQ
  5. ^ Ballantyne, Adrian (6 January 2013). "Mike Hussey given perfect send-off in Test swansong". Courier Mail. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  6. ^ Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song], The Institute of Australian Culture
  7. ^ Australia, or Heart to Heart and Hand to Hand [song, 1890s], The Institute of Australian Culture
  8. ^ Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song], The Institute of Australian Culture
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