| "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" | |
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| Single by Rolf Harris | |
| A-side | "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" |
| B-side | "The Big Black Hat" |
| Released | 1963 |
| Format | 7" single |
| Recorded | 1963 |
| Length | 3:03 |
| Label | Epic 5-9596 |
| Writer(s) | Rolf Harris |
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s (1960 in Great Britain, 1963 in the US). Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed. The song is one of the best known and most successful Australian songs.
Harris offered four unknown backing musicians 10 percent of the royalties for the song, but they decided to take a recording fee of 28 pounds between them because they thought the song would be a flop.[1]
This recording of the song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in 1963; the song also spent three weeks atop the adult contemporary chart.[2] Harris re-recorded it along with The Wiggles in 2005. It is still popular today as a children's song.
The distinctive sound of Harris's original recording was achieved by the use of an instrument of his own design called the "wobble board", actually a two by three foot piece of Masonite[3].
The lyrics of the song have also been compared to a poem by Australian poet Richard H. Kendall whose work includes a poem called "On Preston Bar" which features a pet wallaby called "Tymie". In the poem Tymie seeks to escape from his master, Mr Roberts.
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The story of the song
The Stockman instructs his friend to take care of his affairs. The first of these is to watch his wallabies feed, then to tie his kangaroo down, since they jump around (which is the chorus). "Sport" is an Australian term of address, alluding to "good sport", which often, as in this case, proactively praises someone for carrying out a small favour you are asking of them. The lyrics parody animals and things associated with Australia, including cockatoos, koalas, platypuses, and didgeridoos. His last wish is to "Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred".
Controversial lyrics
The fourth verse was removed circa 1960, because of its use of the word Abo, an offensive slang term for Aboriginal Australians, and because of its racist context. The lyrics of this verse (not found on Rolf Harris' official website) are as follows:
Let me Abos go loose, Lou
Let me Abos go loose
They're of no further use, Lou
So let me Abos go loose.
The verse makes light of Aboriginal servitude and captivity in that the stockman emancipated his captives only at his death, when they were "of no further use" to him[citation needed] (compare George Washington's manumission of his slaves by will rather than during his lifetime). In addition, because most of the rest of the song refers to animals in captivity, it implies a comparison of Indigenous Australians to animals and characterizes them as subhuman. The offending verse did not feature in later versions of the song. In 2006 Harris expressed his regret about the original lyrics.[4]
Cultural influences
- It was used in an episode of Gilmore Girls by Lorelei when Jason returned from Australia.
- It was used in the debut episode of The Goodies television show; when Graeme flicks the window to show Sydney Harbour Bridge, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is the accompanying music. The trio are visibly averse to the song, with Bill crying "Turn it off!"
- Professional wrestler Outback Jack used the song as his entrance theme while competing for the WWF during the mid-1980's.
- Nicole Kidman sings the song while playing with Philip the "Hyper Hypo" (as played by Mike Myers) in a popular Saturday Night Live sketch.
- As a gimmick, certain radio stations in the U.S. have played "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" non-stop for an extended period of time, often in anticipation of a change in the station's format. Examples of this include: KRVI (Fargo, North Dakota, 2007); KXLP (Mankato, Minnesota, 2007); and a country music station in Columbus, Indiana, in 2000.
- The song was featured in the Frasier episode "Farewell, Nervosa", and is sung by Elvis Costello
- The song was also featured in the Skippy the Bush Kangaroo episode 9 "No Time for Clancy".
- Orchestra leader Ray Conniff recorded the song in March 1966 for his album "Somewhere My Love" which has sold more than two million copies. AFTRA contractor Jay Meyer sang the lyric, which included the fourth verse, while the Ray Conniff Singers sang the chorus. Meyer joked with his audiences that his recording of the song earned a Gold record, before explaining that it was the Conniff album that was RIAA certified Gold (and ultimately Double Platinum).
- Pat Boone's version was co-listed as a bestseller on Billboard's "Honor Roll Of Hits". The Boone version did not make the Hot 100.
References
- ^ Did you know... page 18 "Westside News", February 20, 2008 — Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- ^ The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
- ^ Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport at Time.com, retrieved on 3/14/2008.
- ^ Renee Switzer, Rolf's lyrics 'a sign of the times', The Age, 6 December 2006.
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External links
Full lyrics available at
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