For all those who knew it Or lived in times before Are reserved those special memories In their hearts a true rapport The pearl of the Pacific Was such an exotic place Lining the caldera Within an old volcanic face
It had risen from the ashes Already twice before At first from an eruption And the devastation of a war A colonial community Of every coloured face A cosmopolitan cluster Drawn from the human race
Everyone embraced it Despite the frequent shakes Remarkably complacent Unperturbed by the earthquakes Of the old evacuation plan We knew what it was meant for But silverfish were eating it Behind your toilet door
(Instrumental interlude)
It was a time of transition From the Club and men in whites Drinking gin and tonic On those balmy tropic nights But colonial days were numbered A new future, in our sights We were on an epic journey To mandate a Bill of Rights
So, the carefree years passed us by And Independence days had come PNG still flourished Established proudly in the Sun Until that fateful morning In September 1994 With very little warning The lights went out once more
The town was smothered Under pumice ash and mud A spectacular destruction The devastation chilled the blood Perhaps because we lived there It’s loss our heartstrings wrung For that is where we lived and played When we were very young
