A primary school has come under fire after making its students listen to a song that references ‘white devils’ and labels Captain Cook a ‘murderer without licence’.
The song has been played each morning for the past two months while students at Ramsgate Public School, in Sydney’s south, get ready to go to class.
The song is titled ‘Bagi-la-m Bargan’, meaning fighting boomerang, and is written by Indigenous rapper Birdz, otherwise known as Nathan Bird.
Among the lyrics are references to violence, blood-stained beaches, and armed confrontations with the white settlers.
One outraged father whose child attends the school said he hadn’t brought up the issue with staff out of fear of ‘being branded a racist’.
‘I’m not a racist, I just don’t think young children should be exposed to these lyrics, they don’t promote inclusion, they promote hatred,’ he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Tuesday.
The concerned dad only became aware of the song when his son asked him if there was ‘something wrong with being white’.
‘He said ”well every morning when you drop me off I hear them mention white devils in the song”.’
The father said he was ‘absolutely shocked’ that a song with such strong themes was being played to school children each day.
‘The nature of the song inspires hatred, it doesn’t provide reconciliation, it doesn’t provide inclusion, it made me feel uncomfortable,’ the parent said.
‘At the end of the day its an indoctrination of our children.’
Some of the lyrics to the song are in the Indigenous Butchulla language, which originates from K’gari, otherwise known as Fraser Island.
The track, which also features Indigenous singer Fred Leone, describes how Indigenous ns fought back against the arrival of white settlers.
‘People think ”oh yeah there was massacres”, we were massacred but we were also fighting,’ Mr Leone told the ABC about the song in 2021.
‘And not just our men … the men, the women and even children you know.’
Education Minister Prue Car agreed the content of the song was inappropriate for young children.
‘It’s very concerning and I’m going to have to ask the department to come back to me on what’s happened here,’ she told the broadcaster.
The song was chosen for Reconciliation Week and has since been removed from the school’s playlist. No complaints have been made.
A spokesperson for the NSW Education Department said: ‘We apologise for the distress caused to any parents or children over the choice of school bell song at Ramsgate Public School last week.
‘The song was chosen to mark Reconciliation Week and was not intended to be divisive.
‘The school’s leadership has been counselled about making appropriate choices for the school bell song.
‘Principals and staff across the State will be reminded of their professional obligations in curriculum delivery and resource selection. This includes any songs chosen to use as a school bell.’
Other songs that used to play in the mornings at Ramsgate Public School were ‘Happy’ by Cee Lo Green and ‘We’re All In This Together’ by Ben Lee.
Bargan, bargan
Bargan, bira, nyinang
Bargan, bira, nyinang
Bagi-la-m, bagi-la-m
Bagi-la-m, gangir, ngali
Bagi-la-m, gangir, ngali
Djabil, oh, djabil, oh
Djabil, bagi-la-m, muthar
Djabil, bagi-la-m, muthar
Yirinda, yirinda
Yirinda, yanman, baru, nganya
Yirinda, yanman, baru, nganya
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Patiently waiting for someone I ain’t never seen before
They say he’s a captain of men, but he believe in our law
From the land of the white skin
He’s self-righteous, a murder without license
With the spear, I’m the nicest
Thinkin’ that I might just wait ’til night hits
Then I move in silencе (move on my land)
‘Til the moon’s at its highest (nobody can)
And my soul is dеfiant (defy my land)
Won’t be tuned by desire to kill
Any white devil wanna test my will
Then he finna get burnt by the fire I feel
Look ’em in the eye and hold his spirit still
He’s hopin’ I won’t catch him, but I know I will
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Well, they say that they came in peace
But our blood still stains the beach
Roll the dice, we gon’ play for keeps
This sacred place ain’t a place to preach
(No, no, no) No white faith in a black belief
(No, no, no) Better pray that our spears don’t reach
His cold, white heart, I’ma make it bleed, lead into the First Fleet
Sicker than disease that he bring from overseas
No matter where you flee, I will always be
In the darkest of night, yeah, the sender will see me
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Bargan, bargan
Bargan, bira, nyinang
Bargan, bira, nyinang
Bagi-la-m, bagi-la-m
Bagi-la-m, gangir, ngali
Bagi-la-m, gangir, ngali
Djabil, oh, djabil, oh
Djabil, bagi-la-m, muthar
Djabil, bagi-la-m, muthar
Yirinda, yirinda
Yirinda, yanman, baru, nganya
Yirinda, yanman, baru, nganya
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Standin’ on the shoreline, Cook man comin’
Muthar wanna cross mine, wanna take it from me
Fire in my eyes, but we ain’t runnin’
Wonamutta, let’s ride, ayy, ayy
Ayy, ayy
Ayy, ayy