Mack & Cook return with their new single “A Sign of the Times”, a quietly political song offered not as a solution, but as a contribution.After more than thirty years as an original member of The Wiggles — a role that left little room for political expression — Murray Cook now steps carefully out on the same limb he first occupied during his participation in the YES campaign. This new release represents a decision not to retreat, but to return to unresolved issues at the heart of the country we all call home: most notably, the ongoing absence of a treaty with Aboriginal people.Rather than arguing from a platform, “A Sign of the Times” asks what it truly means for all of us to “do our bit” — to renew pressure, take individual responsibility, and express dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. Not to “spoil the barbecue”, but with the belief that if enough people step up in visible ways, pressure can be maintained and justice achieved for the original owners of this land. Quote
“This song is deeply personal and deeply political for both of us. We stand united in needing, wanting and (to be honest are VERY over) waiting for justice for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters – if not now, then when?”The song opens with many true-blue visual metaphors, including one both Mack and Cook believe to be our country’s ultimate moment of justice; Gough Whitlam pouring the red desert sand into the hands of Vincent Lingiari.Musically, “A Sign of the Times” is framed through an Australiana-meets-Americana lens, drawing on country storytelling traditions with hints of blues. A steady, unhurried pace, classic country-style guitar hooks, and layered male and female harmonies allow the lyric to unfold gently.Beneath the warmth of the sound lies a deeper connection to sadness and disappointment — particularly the unanswered grief carried by Aboriginal people, especially the Stolen Generations — and a shared sense of waiting that has stretched across generations. From the hope of Mabo through decades of political inertia, and most recently the disappointment following the failed YES campaign, the song captures a lifetime of expectation deferred.Rather than offering answers or closure, “A Sign of the Times” holds up a mirror, settling into something more enduring through its central, unresolved question: “Why?”The release arrives amid renewed cultural pressure in Australia. A visible shift is occurring across film, television and public conversation, with new ABC programs such as Always Was, Tonight signalling a growing willingness to confront the nation’s hardest truths. International attention has long questioned Australia’s unfinished business with its First Nations people, and this song sits squarely within that conversation.In this sense, “A Sign of the Times” feels part of a broader movement in Australian cultural expression — driven by a shared desire, need and demand to see justice served within our lifetimes. It speaks to a country done with waiting, ready to re-order priorities, and willing to take responsibility for justice into its own hands.
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