'Can
You Hear Australia's
Heroes Marching?' is
a
national war memorial
song and a tribute
to
the
ANZAC
spirit of
mateship, courage and
sacrifice.
New
website for the song at http://www.australianwarheroes.com
You can link
to the
new website for the song or tell others about it. The success of the
song meant
it was
necessary to create a domain that was unique to the song and gave it a
permanent home
on the Internet. The song has over a
million hits
online with this website, YouTube, and
other
websites that include the song. Take a look at the
new website.
This website started
back in the mid 90s, well before Google was even thought of. In
the
beginning it was a website Peter Barnes put together for info about his
advertising and
marketing business. If you want a business or organisation easily found on search engines
like Google with the keywords you want, then take a look at the website
Be Found Online
(Peter's online business). Since 2001, the war heroes song has
taken
over more and more
of this website. As the website is now old, and image wise, out
of date,
it was necessary to
create a website for the song independent of this one. The
website is
kept alive today,
mainly because it still gets a lot of visitors looking for the song.
No recording or
publishing company in Australia has shown any interest in the song over
the past eight years. If it wasn't for this website, our
Australian war heroes would have not
been heard matching once again across our great land through this
song. The global
aspect of the internet also allowed many people from other countries to
hear the song.
For instance a publishing house in Norway asked for the song.
"The
Norwegian publishing house Aschehoug is about to publish a new series
of English schoolbooks for
8-10th grade in the Norwegian market. In this new series, called
Key English, we want to make use of the song
"Can You Hear Australia's
Heroes
Marching".
Over 1,000 people a
day view
videos relating to the song
on YouTube
alone. Peter's
YouTube channel has passed
one million
video views, with most
viewing videos relating to
the song. Click here to go to the YouTube channel. You can
see videos of the song for
WW1, WW2, the Vietnam War and more.
The
heroes song
was created from Peter's experience in visiting the
Adelaide River War
Cemetery (114
kms south of Darwin) in the Northern Territory and seeing
the
graves of
Australians who gave their lives in the service and defence of their
country. Peter felt he
should do
something within his capabilities to honour
the memory
of such incredible sacrifice.
A total of 434 war
graves marked by bronze plaques are contained in
the Adelaide River
War Cemetery. The burials are made up of 14 airmen of the RAF, 12
unidentified men of the
British Merchant Navy; one soldier of the
Canadian Army; 18 sailors, 181 soldiers and 201
airmen of the
Australian Forces and seven men of the Australian Merchant Navy.
The
Northern Territory Memorial to the Missing honours a further 292
Servicemen and
women lost to the north of Australia. The adjacent civil
section contains the graves of the
nine Post Office staff killed on 19
February 1942 during the bombing of Darwin, one of 63
separate
occasions from that date. The civilian casualties of WW2 include those
of 31
Indigenous Australians.
"To stand on my homeland, surrounded by
our war dead, who fought heroically to defend
Australia and their loved ones
down the track, was a profound experience and initiated
the creation of the song."
Peter Barnes
NEW: You
can watch a video of the Adelaide River War Cemetery here
Click here for the 4 minute version of the song
(has additional words).
Click here
for other inspiring Australian Songs by the author of the war
heroes
song (this is a
new website).
Over
100,000
Australians
have lost their lives in the
service and defence of our country. Along
with their
mates,
they're
marching once
again,
in the towns and cities,
across
our great land.
The song is timeless
and
honours the memory of those who have died in the service and defence of Australia
in war.
The marching
theme
of the
song is especially powerful
and supports the spirit
of ANZAC Day. The
song
does not glorify war or endorse conflict of any
kind. The song simply
highlights the sacrifice of
many
Australians who died in the service and defence
of our country in war.
The
song has
been used for
commemorative purposes across Australia by schools,
churches, choirs,
bands, councils, retirement homes, military services, RSL
branches and ANZAC
tributes at NRL & AFL
matches.
Many schools throughout Australia use
this song for commemorative purpose. Click here
to read some of
the comments.
Companies
and businesses have asked to use the song leading up to (or on)
ANZAC Day. For
instance,
stores have asked to have it played over their in-store sound system
leading up to ANZAC Day.
A mining
company asked to use the song for their commemorative service.
Radio
stations
throughout Australia have broadcast
the
song leading up to ANZAC Day and Remembrance
Day.
The song is also requested to be
played at funerals (for veterans).
The
words (lyrics) to the
song have
been requested
to
be used or read at commemorative ceremonies.
You can click here to
download the words
to the
song (pdf file).
"I
am taking a funeral
tomorrow of a Vietnam Vet who died last week of cancer. The
family would like
to use your song... I am asking for permission to use it at the
funeral."
E-mail from a
Reverend
Many Australians who lost their
lives in war weren't thinking they could save the world or defeat
evil
regimes.
As in the trenches of France, and
the patrols in Vietnam,
or on the
Kokoda Track, Australians were looking
after their mates alongside
them. Many Australian veterans march on ANZAC Day in memory of
their
mates
left behind, and the ones that have passed on before them.
"Congratulations
on
your very
professionally presented
song, 'Can You Hear Australia's Heroes
Marching?'
It is most patriotic, stirring
and respectfully thought provoking."
Major General
Peter Phillips AO
MC (Retd) National
President of the
RSL
"We, the ACT TPI Association, have been
asked by the Federation of the TPI Association to create the
same CD
using your song for a national campaign to Federal politicians. The Federation has asked me
to ask your
permission to use your song on the national campaign. They only
intend sending the CDs
to the Federal and other local State politicians.
For your information, we have
found
the CD of great
benefit in informing our local politicians of just what
is a TPI. Could
you please advise if your
approval is given to the Federation using your
song on the
CD?"
TPI - Totally
and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women
"Last
Sunday, the Brisbane Broncos
played the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp
Stadium in a round 7 NRL
match. The match
including the ceremony was shown live on Fox Sports. At 2.25pm there
was a
special Anzac tribute
and
your wonderful song was played as the special guests, match officials and
both teams entered the stadium. They walked on in staggered starts escorted by Army service
personnel to the music and it
was absolutely wonderful. They all lined up in one line and the 'toss'
was performed
by an 85 yr old POW veteran. The Qld Premier with match referee and both team
captains. The
Qld President of the RSL read
the Ode and a Navy bugler played the Last Post. It was
a very moving
few
minutes and everyone loved it. You should be very
proud of your song.
Thanks
again for permitting us to use the
song. I have played it
probably 30 times over the last month. It
moves me
every time, the words are
reflective of our appreciation for these men &
women."
Brian
McGrath - Operations
Manager -
Brisbane Broncos Football Club
*The
song was requested to be used
again for the ANZAC tribute
in the 2007 round 7 NRL match when the
Brisbane
Broncos
played
Melbourne
Storm. This was the third time the song has been requested
to be
played by the Brisbane Broncos for their ANZAC tribute.
It was also used in 2004 and 2006. The song was
used as part of the ANZAC tribute in the
2008 round 7 NRL match between
the Brisbane Broncos and the
South Sydney Rabbitohs on ANZAC Day, 25
April, at Suncorp Stadium.
"The CD was great. We put it
over the P.A.
system in the park on ANZAC Day and the whole town
has
been
humming the tune ever since."
Collie Cardiff
RSL - Western Australia
"I
thought the music was a modern reflection on
Australia's war dead... As a Vietnam veteran I would
have to say that it is a wonderful tribute to
all who have fallen."
Edmund
'Ted' Harrison
"Mr
Barnes, while visiting Australia last September, I had the opportunity
to visit the War
Memorial in
Canberra. I took numerous pictures there as well
of other places I visited while
in your country. I've
been putting my pictures, along with background musical tracks,
up on my website as podcasts. As I
worked on the pictures of
the War Memorial, I
looked for appropriate music to accompany it and
found your
song. I would like to know if
you would give me permission to use 'Can You Hear
Australia's Heroes
Marching?' as background
to the pictures of the Australian War Memorial?
It would be
the perfect music to
underscore the pictures."
Gene
Bias, Orlando,
FL, USA
Click
here
to read more comments
regarding the
song.
Click here to watch a
tribute to Australians who served and
died
in Vietnam.
Click here to watch a video of
the song relating to the Korean War.
Click here to watch a video of
the song relating to the Second World
War.
Click here to watch a video of
the song relating to the First World
War.
Click here to watch a video of
the song relating to the Kokoda Track.
Click here to watch a video of
the song relating to the Gallipoli
Campaign.
Click here to watch a
modern
day tribute to Australians
who serve and have died in places like Afghanistan,
Iraq, East Timor and on peacekeeping and
humanitarian operations around
the world.
Click here for Australian Army tribute (also
includes links to Navy and Air Force tributes).
Adelaide
River War Cemetery
ANZAC Day
Peter
Barnes initiated this song in 2001. He is the author (and copyright owner) of the song
and he created
the concept, title and lyrics. You can contact Peter by email here
'Can
you hear Australia's heroes
marching?' ©
Peter
Barnes 2001 - 2009.
All Rights Reserved.
Click
here if
you would like to know more about the author of the songs.
All content on this page and on the video remains the
property of
the respective copyright holders.
The song
may not be used for any commercial purposes whatsoever. Peter
also holds copyright for 'Can you hear our
heroes marching?'. Any change of the name of a country, for
instance, inserting
'America's', instead of
'Australia's' in the the song is in violation of copyright.