Lyrics

Walking in Their Footsteps
Lyrics by Drew Dale

Verse 1
I walk the old tracks where the river runs slow,
Where Dunghutti stories live deep below.
Paperbark shadows lean over the sand,
Like Elders still watching over this land.
Every step I take feels older than me,
Like I’m walking beside those I never got to see.
Their spirit in the dust, their strength in the trees.

Verse 2
The wind through the gums speaks in voices I know,
Carrying names from a long time ago.
Black cockatoos call like they’re marking the way,
And the tide tells the truth of another old day.
Footprints fade fast, but the path stays strong,
A reminder this place has held us so long.
Country keeps the stories, and it keeps us belonging.

Chorus
I’m walking in the footsteps of the ones who came before,
Their heartbeat in the red dust, their spirit in the shore.
Country knows my name the way a mother knows her own,
And every step I’m taking is a step back home.
I carry all their stories in the rhythm of my stride,
And I stand a little taller with my ancestors by my side.
Walking in their footsteps with a quiet, steady pride.

Verse 3
These hills hold the echoes of the ones who stood proud,
Their strength in the silence, their truth in the crowd.
Saltwater glimmers where the old camps lay,
And the smoke from my fire feels the same as their day.
I walk so my children will know where we’ve been,
And feel that same pride rising under their skin.
The line stays unbroken when the journey starts within.

Bridge
Time tried to scatter us far from this place,
But Country remembers every name, every face.
The old ways aren’t gone — they’re waiting in the dust,
And each step I take is a promise to trust.

Final Chorus
I’m walking in the footsteps of the ones who came before,
Their heartbeat in the red dust, their spirit in the shore.
Country knows my name the way a mother knows her own,
And every step I’m taking is a step back home.
I carry all their stories in the rhythm of my stride,
And I walk this land with my ancestors by my side.
And if the years pull me far from this,
I’ll find my way back on a morning just like this.

© 2026 Andrew Stephen Dale. All rights reserved.
Unauthorised copying, distribution, or use of these lyrics or musical materials is prohibited.