Our Don Bradman

"Our Don Bradman" is a 1930 song by Jack O'Hagan about the legendary Australian cricketer Donald Bradman.^[1] It was written just before the 1930 Ashes Test Series between England and Australia, which was held in England that year.

Content

The song celebrates Donald Bradman as someone who "has won Australia's very highest praise". It lists his achievements and talents, and declares him the person whom "all Australia raves about", more than "Amy Johnson or little Mickey Mouse".^[2] The song also mentions other contemporary Australian cricketers, namely Bill Woodfull, Clarrie Grimmett, Bill Ponsford, Alan Kippax "and the rest", but even though the singer acknowledges that they have "gallantly and nobly done their share" Bradman still "tops them all".^[2] The lines "How that Mister Lion, poor fish / must just sit and wish and wish / that our Don had never come across the foam" refer to the lion, one of the symbols of English cricket.^[3] The lyrics also mention the British cricketers Maurice Tate and Harold Larwood.^[2]

Public reception

The song was recorded with a vocal by Art Leonard^[4] and released in July 1930 by Regal. Some of O'Hagan's verses were omitted. On the B-side was another cricket song, "Our Eleven", written by Jack Lumsdaine.^[5] The sheet music was released at the same time, just as Bradman scored a triple-century in a Test match in England, and sold 40,000 copies in a few days.^[6] A piano roll was also released that month, recorded by Laurel Pardey.^[7]

The song quickly became popular and within a few weeks was being performed at community concerts around Australia.^[8] When Bradman returned to his home town of Bowral in November 1930 after the triumphant tour of England, the band at the civic reception played "Our Don Bradman".^[9]

The song was voted number one by teenage listeners of radio station 2UW in Sydney in 1967 after it was played as a joke for a listener who had sent it in.^[10]

Sources

1. Gordon Forester, "Our Don review – Donald Bradman's symphonic tribute hits for six ", The Guardian, 15 August 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
   - Hutchins, Brett (2002). Don Bradman: Challenging the Myth. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521823846.
2. ""Don Bradman." [song and music videos, 1 September 1932]"". The Institute of Australian Culture. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
   - "Our Don Bradman", Banyule Primary School ^{[unreliable source?]}
3. "Don Bradman". The Queenslander: 42. 1 September 1932. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
4. "Banish the Budget Blues, a song from the Great Depression". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
5. de Noskowski, L. (19 July 1930). "New records". Sydney Morning Herald: 10. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
   - "Still another record of our Don Bradman ... but this time on Regal [Advertisement]". The Sun: 14. 16 July 1930. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
6. Golby, Benjamin. "Let the records show". Cricket Monthly. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
7. "Player piano rolls". Sydney Morning Herald: 8. 22 July 1930. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
8. "Ridgley Ball". Advocate: 7. 30 October 1930. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
   - "Children's concert: Shepparton East School". Shepparton Advertiser: 4. 6 October 1930. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
   - "Unemployment Relief Committee: Successful children's concert". Transcontinental: 3. 14 November 1930. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
9. "Don Bradman: Famous cricketer comes home". Sydney Morning Herald: 13. 5 November 1930. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
10. Staff reporter (17 February 2022). "From the archives, 1967: Sir Don in the 'Top Thirty'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 February 2022.