In the early 1980s , Carmody began his musical career . He signed a recording contract in 1987 and his first album , '' Pillars of Society '' , was released on the Rutabagas label ( a label founded by artist Frances Mahony and technologist Joe Hayes ) ; the rights were later transferred to Larrikin Records/EMI ) in December 1988 . It drew heavily upon country and folk styles with tracks such as " Black Deaths in Custody " and " Thou Shalt Not Steal " describing ignorance and oppression experienced by indigenous Australians . In the song " Thou Shalt Not Steal " , Carmody draws attention to the hypocrisy of British settlers who brought Christianity to Indigenous Australians , including the commandment prohibiting theft , and yet took the land that the Aboriginal people had inhabited for more than 60,000 years . He emphasises the importance of land to the indigenous people , " '' The land ’s our heritage and spirit '' " , and turns the Christian lesson given to indigenous people around : " '' We say to you yes , whiteman , thou shalt not steal '' " . A '' Rolling Stone '' ( Australia ) journalist , Bruce Elder , described it as " the best album ever released by an Aboriginal musician and arguably the best protest album ever made in Australia " . '' Pilllar of Society '' was nominated for a 1989 ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release . In subsequent recordings Carmody adopted a broad range of musical styles , from reggae to rock and roll . Carmody 's second album , '' Eulogy ( For a Black Person ) '' , released in November 1990 , was produced by Connolly , with musical support from the rest of the Messengers and members of pioneering Aboriginal rock band Mixed Relations . A review of the album noted that " '' Using a combination of folk and country music his hard-hitting lyrics deal with such potent material as the David Gundy slaying , black deaths in custody , land rights and Aboriginal pride and dignity . Carmody is deeply committed , powerfully intelligent and persuasively provocative . He uses images of revolutionaries ... and challenges white Australia to stare unrelentingly at the despair which under pins Aboriginal society '' " . The first single from the album , " Blood Red Rose " , released in April 1992 , was described by Carmody as " '' a comment on personal isolation . Late night , big city alienation '' " , whilst the B-side , " Elly " , is the moving story of a young woman attempting to escape the poverty and racism of western Queensland , who finds herself trapped in Surfers Paradise working in the sex industry . '' Eulogy ( For a Black Person ) '' was nominated for a 1992 ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release
1992 ARIA Award
ARIA Music Awards of 1992
Kev Carmody