In his interview with Australian Musician, songwriter Dave Cox discusses the inspiration behind his new single “Sea of Lies,” a ballad about the 1975 murder of five Australian-based journalists in Balibo, East Timor, while they were covering the conflict surrounding Indonesia’s invasion.
MORE ABOUT THE INTERVIEW
Cox explains that he first became aware of the killings while serving in the Australian Army in 1975. As a young soldier, he closely followed the unfolding news and was struck by how the story gradually faded from public attention without a clear resolution. The journalists were reportedly executed by Indonesian forces, their bodies burned, and their remains removed. Decades later, the circumstances surrounding their deaths remain contested and no one has been held accountable.
The 50th anniversary in 2025 prompted Cox to revisit the story. Seeing the anniversary coverage, he felt that the killings were still largely unresolved and that a new generation was unaware of what had happened. As a songwriter, he felt he could contribute by telling the story through music and using the song to raise awareness.
Cox also discusses his friendship with Paulie Stewart (Painters and Dockers, Dili Allstars), whose brother Tony was one of the five journalists killed. Conversations with Stewart gave Cox a deeper understanding of the personal impact of the tragedy, particularly the lasting grief experienced by the families. Stewart described how his brother’s death affected him and his family throughout his life, including the profound suffering experienced by their mother.
The personal stories reinforced Cox’s sense of responsibility in writing the song. He says every lyric was carefully considered and informed by research, conversations and emotion. For Cox, music has a role in confronting uncomfortable truths and bringing issues of injustice to the attention of people who may otherwise never encounter them.
Musically, “Sea of Lies” began as a simple acoustic-guitar ballad. Cox then brought the song to producer and musician Lee Bradshaw, who expanded it with orchestration, strings and chorus. Cox says Bradshaw recognised the emotional depth of the song and created an arrangement that gave the story greater weight and character. Cox wrote the song on a Maton guitar, which he felt was appropriate for an Australian story.
The interview also explores Cox’s longstanding connection with the veteran community through his Guitars for Vets program. The initiative provides veterans with a guitar and ten lessons, using music as a simple and accessible way to support veterans dealing with PTSD and the challenges of transitioning from military service. Since beginning in 2017, the program has reached around 800 veterans, with participants increasingly connecting through informal music-making and jam sessions.
Cox says the veteran community has responded positively to “Sea of Lies”, partly because of the strong connection between Australia and East Timor. He reflects on Australia’s military involvement in East Timor in 1999 and expresses pride in the role played by Australian Defence Force personnel in helping stabilise the country.
Throughout the interview, Cox emphasises that “Sea of Lies” is ultimately about the five families who have lived for decades without justice or an apology. While he acknowledges the complexity surrounding the political and diplomatic history of the killings, his primary concern is the human cost.
When asked what he wo
uld most like the song to achieve, Cox gives a simple answer: an apology to the families. He believes the song’s greatest measure of success would be for either the Indonesian or Australian government to acknowledge the suffering and formally apologise.
Cox sees “Sea of Lies” as more than a historical song. It is an attempt to keep an unresolved story alive, honour the five journalists and their families, and introduce the events of 1975 to a generation that may know little about them. For Cox, the song demonstrates the ability of music to confront injustice, preserve memory and encourage a human response to unresolved grief.