There's an old Australian stockman lying, dying.

[NightTrain]

And he gets himself up onto one elbow, and 'e turns to his mates, who are all gathered around, and 'e says:

Watch me wallabees feed, mate
Watch me wallabees feed.
They're a dangerous breed, mate
So watch me wallabees feed.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

Keep me cockatoo cool, Curl,
Keep me cockatoo cool.
Ah, don't go acting the fool, Curl
Just keep me cockatoo cool.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

Take me koala back, Jack
Take me koala back.
He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac
So take me koala back.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

Let me abos go loose, Lew
Let me abos go loose.
They're of no further use, Lew
So let me abos go loose.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

Mind me platypus duck, Bill
Mind me platypus duck.
Ah, don't let 'im go running amok, Bill
Just mind me platypus duck.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

Play your didgeridoo, Blue
Play your didgeridoo.
Ah, like, keep playin' 'til I shoot thru, Blue
Play your didgeridoo.
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred
Tan me hide when I'm dead.
So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde
And that's it hangin' on the shed!!
Altogether now!

Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. I remember when that song was popular!

Unfortunately, I didn't realize at the time that "abo" is a slang term for Aborigine.

[Eureka]

8. Dont worry, not many even noticed it was there

A few months ago someone over here (Aus) released a book of Rolf songs for school kiddies, reproducing all the original lyrics.

It was only after they had distributed about 20000 copies that somebody noticed it was there. Apparently Rolf had changed the lyrics not long after releasing it (relatively, anyway) and it was forgotten until the book of original lyrics was made.

D'oh

[MuseRider]

2. I don't remember

when that little ditty came on the radio but I was young, probably pre teen but it caught my ear and I learned it and drove my parents crazy with it. Thanks, I had finally forgotten about it. Catchy little tune.

[NightTrain]

4. It was a U.S. hit in 1963. And a big one, at that!

If memory serves, the single peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Supposedly, Rolf Harris wrote that song in 1957, inspired by the calypso-flavored pop hits of Harry Belafonte.

[MuseRider]

6. Yup I was 10.

That sounds like the right age to try to drive your parents insane by singing incredibly catchy tunes that are very repetitive. Thanks. I still think it is catchy and will most likely drive myself nuts with it now.

[dflprincess]

5. Must have come out in the early 60s

I remember my dad's company used it in a sales promotion. They'd give the customer a copy of the record and a "wallabee board". If you held both ends of the board and shook it you could make the same strange noise that's throughout the song.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. He did a version with the Beatles, too on BBC radio

[Kat45]

7. I always HATED that song! I was 8 when it came out!

Edited to add: I guess my good taste in music started when I was real young. :D

[Eureka]

10. You have to recognise the context....

You see, it's a great song for musical illiterates (like myself) to sing while getting really drunk because you can take turns at inventing versus while the rest of the drunken crowd.

I'll demonstrate with my new verse....

Tie George Bush to a tree, Lee
Tie George Bush to a tree,
He'd do the same to me Lee
Tie George Bush to a tree

All together now
Tie me kangaroo down sport
etc etc

:-)

Lots of Aussie songs have the tendency to sound better while pissed (which is Aussie for drunk as opposed to annoyed BTW)

[underseasurveyor]

9. I remember that tune when I was a little girl. Happy upbeat at first

Then it slowed down towards the end. Use to make me sad too :-( Had no idea what Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport meant or what it was, all I knew was at the end of the song.......
:cry: Somebody or Something DIED :cry: I was 4 or 5 years old whadda ya expect ;-)

[DoNotRefill]

11. that's a drinking song w/alternate lyrics called Bestiality's Best, boys!

No joke...the refrain is:

"Bestiality's best, boys,
Bestiality's best!
Fuck a Wallabee
Bestiality's best, boys,
Bestiality's best!"

you're supposed to go around in turns, coming up with rhyming names for male genitalia and animals (or in practice anything), and then everybody sings the chorus. It helps if you're really, really drunk.

An example is:
"Stick your rod in a Scrod"