A six-year-old ballerina’s dancing at the school hall tonight
Santa’s drinking whisky under the coloured lights Grandma’s staring at the stars out in the yard
Angel’s at the table cutting out her Christmas cards
It’s another long hot Christmas under southern skies

The TV’s flickering in the corner, by the tinselled tree
It’s tired and lazy and dropping all its leaves
No way it’s going to last till New Year’s Day
But no one seems to mind, things just go that way
It’s another long hot Christmas under southern skies

The hotels are full of navigators and hard-backed men
Girls drinking tequila but the sunrise is already setting for them
The bitumen is sticky and the river’s almost dry
There’s no money left in this town but they all hang on and try
It’s another long hot Christmas under southern skies

The neighbours have got the plastic Santa on their roof again this year
Dad’s sitting on the veranda eating cake and drinking beer
The kids are playing cricket out on the sunburnt lawn
Dad’s holding back the tears; it’s just two summers since she’s gone
It’s another long hot Christmas under southern skies

Maybe this town’s out of time and on the edge of defeat
With its fat little buildings and its crucifix streets
But at the end of the day a man’s lucky to call somewhere home
And even Santa Claus himself must sometimes feel all alone
It’s another long hot Christmas under southern skies

You know we could have made it but forgiveness often hides
Behind a wall of confusion cemented firm by pride
But the wheels keep on turning there’s some peace here I’ve found
An’ I just heard yesterday that the railways might be coming back to town
It’s another long hot Christmas under southern skies

A six-year-old ballerina’s dancing,
At the school hall,
Tonight.