In Australia, From Reconciliation, A Hit Grows

SYDNEY — An overtly political song about racial reconciliation with Australia’s disadvantaged Aboriginal minority that is not even for sale at any conventional record store has reversed generations of record-industry wisdom by becoming the fourth biggest-selling recording in Australia last week.

The song, “From Little Things, Big Things Grow,” begins with a recording of the words of Australia’s new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, from his February apology for the country’s history of mistreatment of its indigenous peoples.

"As prime minister, I am sorry,” Mr. Rudd says on the recording. “On behalf of the government, I am sorry."

Many of the other lines in the song, which combines hip hop rhythms with more conventional instrumentation, were taken from the comments of indigenous leaders who spoke shortly after Mr. Rudd’s apology.

After Mr. Rudd words, the song moves on to the lyrics: “There are moments in the lives of nations where hope and history rhyme, now’s one of those times, let’s close the gap and if we truly mean it, we can stare down our future and find we can see through those eyes. Let us not stand with those who deny."

The song is only available as a download from the Web. It is a remake and rewording of a song originally written more than 20 years ago to celebrate one of the most famous of Australia’s campaigns for racial equality, the drive for equal pay for indigenous farm workers.

“This follows a long history of being a significant song, but it has been given a new meaning because of the apology,” said Richard Kingsmill, music director at Triple-J, one of Australia’s most popular music radio stations.

“This is one of those times when politically conscious music will sell,” he said.

Mr. Rudd created a moment of political magic with his speech in February. The new version of “From Little Things” has been designed by the Internet-based political action group Get Up, along with Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, the song’s original authors and heavyweights in the recording industry, to capitalize on the new mood in Australia since Mr. Rudd’s apology.

“In the past, every time indigenous affairs hits the front pages, it disappears almost immediately, said Brett Solomon, the executive director of Get Up, which offers the song on its Web site for download for about $1.58. “We wanted to magnify the momentum towards a reconciled future,” he said. The song is also available on iTunes.

Mr. Solomon added: “We wanted to talk in a language young people understand about reconciliation. It’s designed to talk about what a reconciled country might look like.”

Get Up has proved surprisingly effective in the past. Its Web site announces that it has 280,000 members nationwide, which it says is more than every Australian political party combined.

Mr. Solomon says the song’s success is another clear sign that a younger generation is throwing off the political lassitude of their predecessors and becoming involved in politics, but they have a new take on the best way to make their voices heard.

More and more, the activism is taking place outside the political mainstream, using the Internet to organize and to take direct action on the issues that concern them, in particular, the environment, race, fair trade and access to justice.

The song is part of a larger campaign. Get Up has called on its members to organize meetings on Tuesday evening as part of efforts to build bridges between Aborigines and non-indigenous Australians.

Mr. Solomon said that all the profits from the song will go to three charities that are promoting indigenous health, mentoring in Aboriginal communities and efforts to reconnect some of the Aboriginal families that were torn apart by the policies of previous governments.

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