“You’re the Voice” has taken on new meaning as the anthem of the Yes movement supporting the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Written and performed in the 80s as an anti-nuclear armament song, John Farnham's original recording of "You're the Voice" is now the musical backbone of the Yes campaign's media outreach.

Farnham was quoted by the ABC saying, "This song changed my life. 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."

According to the SBS, John Farnham did not receive any payment for the use of his song. The broadcaster quoted Gaynor Wheatley - the widow of Farnham's former manager Glenn Wheatley - and the singer's friend David Wilson: "We confirm that John Farnham has gifted his performance of You're the Voice for its use in the Uluru Dialogue Yes Campaign advertisements."

The Yes advertising media campaign is built around a 2 minute 47 sec video by award-winning Indigenous film-maker Warwick Thornton. The video takes the viewer through key moments in recent Australian history: moments which brought the nation together, or set it on a path that made a better Australia.

"I feel all the films I have made have been practice for this one very important and beautiful film," Thornton told the ABC.

Watch the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br8dB_0z3Fk

Read the full ABC story
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-03/john-farnhams-youre-the-voice-for-referendum-yes-campaign/102806260

Read the full SBS story
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/john-farnham-did-not-get-paid-for-lending-youre-the-voice-to-campaign-friend-says/zu62eih5k