Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.

Subject: Lyrics add: Kookaburra parody version
From: Joybell
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 08:20 PM

There's a parody version. Don't know any details except that I know it from about 1950.

Kookaburra sits on the telephone wire
Jumping up and down with his pants on fire
Help Fireman! Help Fireman!
Put my undies out.

Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 03:04 AM

Gee, there's not much on this song in the Traditional Ballad Index, just a citation from Folksinger's Wordbook.:

Kookaburra

DESCRIPTION: "Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree, Merry merry king of the bush is he, Laugh, kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra, Gay your life must be."
AUTHOR: Marion Sinclaie (?) (Source: Davey/Seal)
EARLIEST DATE: 1973
KEYWORDS: animal nonballad
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Silber-FSWB, p. 413, "Kookaburra" (1 text)
ADDITIONAL: Gwenda Beed Davey and Graham Seal, _A Guide to Australian Folklore_, Kangaroo Press, 2003, p. 201, "(Kookaburra)" (1 short text)
File: FSWB413B

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2016 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

Subject: RE: Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 06 Apr 06 - 12:14 AM

Back again ...

Warren says that Larrikin Publications was separate from Larrikin Records, which was bought by Festival Records ... and the book side was bought by Music Sales.

They have actively pursued an advertising agency that filched Kookaburra for an advertising campaign ... but ignore all the non-commercial uses. If you were thinking of recording ... well, I reckon you would need to stump up on copyright.

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 11:54 PM

G'day again,

I found a reference to Marion Sinclair's life as 1896 - 1988 - so all that Guiding must have heald her in good stead. As she seems to have died before copyright extensions came in, the song is copyright, in Australia, until 1 January 2039.

I found another reference that gave "Larrikin Music" as the copyright holders ... which seems odd - unless Warren Fahey, the founder of Larrikin, acquired the copyright for some project. If so ... it is probably now owned by Festival Music, who bought out Warren's "Indie" folk music label. If I can collar Warren, I'll ask if he knows anything about the rights ...

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 11:30 PM

G'day Jeremy,

It does seem that Marion Sinclairwrote the song for the Girl Guides - and the 1934 tour by the Baden-Powells may have been the first occasion it was sung:

The Chiefs visited Australia during their world tour of 1934. Their main stop was the Centenary Jamboree at Frankston in Melbourne. Again they came via Port Moresby, also stopping at Darwin, Thursday Island, Townsville, Brisbane (for just one hour), and a weekend at a huge rally at Centennial Park in Sydney. The Jamboree in Melbourne was the first time the internationally-known and translated round, Kookaburra, was sung en masse. The song was written by a Guider from Frankston, Marion Sinclair.

After the Jamboree, the BPs went on to Adelaide, where Lady BP officially opened Paxlease Training Centre.

Under Australian law, the song remains in copyright if Marion Sinclair was still alive in 1955. If she was an active Guide Leader 21 years before ... that is quite likely. The situation with countries having less respect for others' copyright (eg, USA) is less clear ... and I can't even clear up the Australian situation, as I have not found any biographical info on Marion Sinclair.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.
From: Azizi
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 10:20 PM

Thanks, Jeremy.

I suppose this is the "Kookaburro sits on an old gum tree" song?

And is this an authentic Australian song?

It's a shame, but the only Australia songs I remember learning in public schools were that song and "Waltzing Matilda".

Now many children don't have music classes, so they might not learn even these songs.

I know this isn't the topic of this thread, but I wish some Mudcatters would share the names and hopefully online sources for lyrics for other Australian folk songs.

Best wishes,

Azizi

Subject: Origins: Kookaburra - possible copyright info.
From: GUEST,Jeremy
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 10:02 PM

I have come across what seems to be songwriter information for KOOKABURRA. Apparently it is by Marion Sinclair, written in either 1932 or 1936 (sources vary), so copyright is probably still in effect.

Hope this is how I'm supposed to send this kind of note.