Ted Lang spent a lot of time on the Eyre Peninsula and it became a favourite spot of his. When he returned from there, the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association had a sesquicentenary celebration of Tumby Bay and opened up a song competition. Entrants were asked to compose a song about the West Coast of South Australia and Ted decided to enter this competition.

 

He wrote ‘a bit of a song’ (as he describes it), five verses long and poetically telling of the explorers and pioneers that discovered the West Coast. He had written four verses, but it didn’t seem complete. He felt the Lord say to him, “Where do I come in in this song?” So Ted knew he had to write a fifth verse, but he was stumped as to how to go about it.

At that time, he read Psalm 28.

Psalm 28 – Of David. 

1      To you, Lord, I call;

   you are my Rock,
   do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you remain silent,
   I will be like those who go down to the pit.

2         Hear my cry for mercy
   as I call to you for help,
   as I lift up my hands
   toward your Most Holy Place.

3         Do not drag me away with the   

   wicked, with those who do evil,
   who speak cordially with their neighbors
   but harbor malice in their hearts.

4         Repay them for their deeds
   and for their evil work;
   repay them for what their hands   

   have done and bring back on them   

   what they deserve.

5      Because they have no regard for the 

   deeds of the Lord and what his hands have done,
   he will tear them down
   and never build them up again.

6       Praise be to the Lord,
   for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7      The Lord is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
   My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise him.

8      The Lord is the strength of his people,
   a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9      Save your people and bless your inheritance;
   be their shepherd and carry them forever.

 

He came to verse seven (in bold above), and in particular the second part of that verse, With my song I praise Him, and he knew without a doubt that the whole song really ought to praise God. Ted says, “God said to me, ‘I want you to praise Me with that last verse of your song.’ So the last verse of my song, after all the others were in the minor key, the last verse finishes up in the major key.”

 

Verse 5

Thank God for the explorers; And thank God for pioneers,

For their courage, faith and vision which have triumphed down the years.

Let’s drink their spirit deeply. Could there be a better toast?

“To the ones who long before us saw the future of the Coast.”

 

“Well that was the last verse of the song and I put it in and blow me down, the song won the competition. And I’m only saying that because that’s the point of the story. That God honoured Himself and I honoured Him and that’s the way it should be.”

Now the song was complete, with God being the one honoured. A testimony to Ted’s faith and God’s faithfulness.

 

Song description (as stated for the competition entry):

The song is written to trace the history of the West Coast – more correctly Eyre Peninsula – and as a tribute to its discoveries and pioneers. As far as possible it is based on facts and is an endeavour to exhort us today to value the qualities of faith and courage they possessed. The first four verses are set to a folk-song type air and are mainly descriptive. The last verse is the climax expressing thanks to God for our heritage and encouraging us to follow their example.

 

                                                                                                                       

The Song of the Coast

Ted Lang

 

In sixteen twenty-seven Nuyts was blown across the Bight;

He looked in vain for fertile plain but nothing could he sight.

“I’m turning back from here,” he said,

“To where the Trade Winds blow.”

And the land slept on in silence underneath the sunset’s glow.

 

From County Lincoln sailed a man who traced this Western shore,

And many of his homeland’s names surrounding landmarks bore;

The gesture of a gentleman who never once did boast;

Yet today the name of Flinders echoes all around the Coast.

 

When Eyre came round from Adelaide Town in eighteen forty-one,

He said, “This land is desolate, there’s nothing can be done.

‘Twill hardly carry livestock, or grow barley, wheat or rye”

While the lazy smoke from Native fires crept up the clear blue sky.

 

Today the Coast is thriving from the Cape to Nullarbor;

With wheat and wool and barley, gypsum, fish and iron ore.

We reap our million bushels where our fathers poured their sweat

As they cleared the stunted mallee for enough to meet the debt.

 

Thank God for the explorers; And thank God for pioneers,

For their courage, faith and vision which have triumphed down the years.

Let’s drink their spirit deeply. Could there be a better toast?

“To the ones who long before us saw the future of the Coast.”