As a social and political activist since my teens, people often ask me what motivated me so early on. A few factors shaped my values: my Irish Catholic background; my public housing upbringing by a widowed mother on welfare ; and, later, my discovery of a radical message about love and stuff.
But it was a rock song that brought it all together. It was 1982 and I was 14. I was watching Countdown with my brother, when the song came on. It was catchy, had a haunting chorus, rich harmonies, and a great guitar riff. But there was something more. It gave me goose-bumps, though I couldn't explain why.
'That'll be a hit,' my brother predicted.
The song was 'Solid Rock' by Australian band Goanna. It is now 30 years since I first saw that clip, but when I hear the song today, I still get goose-bumps, and the chorus still haunts me.
I couldn't wait until the repeat of Countdown the following week. As soon as I had saved up $9.99 I took a bus to town and purchased my first record with my own money — Goanna's Spirit of Place. I soon memorised the words to 'Solid Rock' as well as every 'ooh',' ah', and grunt — but it was a simple phrase, sung almost under the breath of lead singer Shane Howard, that had me mesmerised.
'Someone lied ...'
What? Someone lied? As a teenager, already angry about a few things, I wanted to know who lied, what did they lie about and why did they lie about it.
But Howard went further.
'Someone lied,' he repeats, and then whispers: 'Genocide.'
Genocide? Wow. At that point to link genocide to Australia's Aborigines was not done on prime time television — but there it was on Countdown and repeated countless times on radio for the next 30 years.
'Solid Rock' has moulded itself into the consciousness of many Australians like myself. As a schoolgirl it prompted me to ask questions, to challenge the narrative of history I was receiving at school, to think. I wrote to the band — the only fan letter I've ever written — and received a reply, which I've treasured. It encouraged me to read further about Aboriginal issues and politics. I followed Goanna, and later Howard's solo career.
In 2006, I was thrilled to meet Howard (I approached him during a break at a concert) and tell him of the influence his songwriting had on me. At the time I was in the midst of a legal trial for breaking into Pine Gap military base to draw attention to its war-making functions, which I mentioned to him.
He listened intently, went back on stage, re-told the story to the audience and dedicated a song to me (I almost fainted!). He supported the Pine Gap action by donating a song, 'Rise Up', to a fundraising CD for the trial.
I was delirious at making the connection to a childhood hero and realising he was as authentic and committed as I had perceived all those years ago.
And so it is that as Australia Day approaches I want to pay my tribute to 'Solid Rock', for it was this song that taught me, as a teenager, to question the narrow, white, European narrative that accompanies the flag-waving on this day. It encouraged me to begin to dig deeper and challenge the well-spun myth that Australia Day is something to celebrate when in reality it marks an invasion, occupation and attempted decimation of a culture.
Indeed 'someone lied', and the lies continue.
Donna Mulhearn is a freelance journalist and peace activist. She will return for her fifth visit to Iraq this year. Follow Donna on Twitter