Aussie icon John Farnham has given the green light for his song ‘You’re the Voice’ to be used in a “Yes” campaign ad in the lead-up to the upcoming Voice referendum.
Farnham’s song will be featured in a two-minute television ad that will be unveiled on Sunday night at a private function before hitting the airwaves, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
The video has been directed by Kaytetye man and award-winning film-maker Warwick Thornton and was produced specifically to fit the tune of ‘You’re the Voice’.
The full version will be made available to watch at 7pm on Sunday September 3 on the Uluru Statement’s official website.
“This song changed my life,” the singer said in a media statement.
“I can only hope that now it might help, in some small way, to change the lives of our First Nations Peoples for the better.”
The son of Farnham’s manager Glenn Wheatley, Tim added his two cents to the significance of the decision.
“’You’re the Voice’ is not aligned with any political party. It is aligned with humanity,” he began.
“It’s a song for all Australians. Always has been, always will be.
“Win or lose this referendum, this song will forever remain on the right side of history.”
Despite its popularity, the song has been licensed incredibly sparingly over the years, further increasing the magnitude of Farnham’s decision to approve its use by the Yes campaign.
Farnham himself has been out of the media spotlight recently having only just recovered from a battle with cancer.
“It’s been a year since my first surgery and to be honest I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been since then,” he said at the time.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to write and send a message.”
This past week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the referendum will be held on Saturday, October 14.
If you’re keen to learn more about the vote, peep our full explainer article here.
Header image: supplied.
