Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: Stewie
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 07:27 PM

Once again, Joe, I apologise for posting as guest in previous message - I didn't notice my cookie had been eaten.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: GUEST,Joe
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 04:28 PM

Okay, there was a reference way back in this thread suggesting that the "kangaroo" was the subject's "member" and that the subject was asking his friend to tie it down so it wouldn't prop the casket open... ok. That's funny and all, but really makes no sense whatsoever with the rest of the song.

Towards the end of the song, the subject asks Fred to tan his hide when he's dead. No need for a casket here, or to be concerned with tying one's "member" down LOL!

And in the EPIC release in which the B side was "The Big Black Hat" - the Abos are to be loosed by Lou... it's pretty clear actually.

Have a listen... it's great:

Tie Me Kangaroo Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb0GvqsCn0g&NR=1

The Big Black Hat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOvKqNJh4p4&feature=related

Yes, I had nothing better to do today than to look up a thread from a whole bunch of people trying to make something hugely symbolic and political out of something that simply entertained us all as children.

Learned a lot of theories and some facts in the process, so that's cool... what fun!

-- Joe

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: GUEST,Sarah
Date: 09 Nov 10 - 07:53 PM

Yes there was slavery and yes Aboriginal's (Native Australian's) worked but received no pay.. Also known as stolen wages. Maybe you'll find something on google about that. And as far as the song goes, its putrid and sounds like a racist old redneck bitch.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 02:21 PM

The song "16 Tons", originally recorded by Merle Travis in 1946, was a #1 hit by Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955 and only much later covered by Johnny Cash in 1987.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: Tootler
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 07:41 PM

I got given a set of words for "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" when I did an absolute beginners' ukulele workshop. It simply left out the "Let the Abos go loose" verse and the song doesn't suffer any from it.

It's a fun song and that particular verse is not really necessary and is best left out.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: GUEST,Henryp
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 06:23 AM

The Vestey family, Britain's most notorious tax avoiders, are close friends of the Royal Family. Prince Harry's godmother, Celia Knight, is one of the Vestey family.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: Andrez
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 08:13 AM

I guess the bottom line when thinking about the 'standing' of a song is to think about whether people sing it. As far as I can tell TMKD is not a song sung publicly at festivals or anywhere of a similar nature, or even privately, in Australia at least. Its a forgettable piece of writing, and apart from Rolf himself, isnt likely to be absorbed into the tradition other than as a curious dated oddity at best.

Gurindji Blues on the other hand will always have a place in the Aussie tradition because its real and tells a story that is powerful on so many levels. Have a listen to a couple of versions from You Tube. First here's Ted Egan (the white-fella who wrote it) doing the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVD9pdz1piA

Thats pretty good as it stands 'cos Ted wrote the song too. Now listen to it done by Galurrwuy Yunupingu of Yothu Yindi fame doing the song together with the man who actually led the walk off: Mr Vincent Lingiari. This is how I first heard the song, it was electrifying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLIlyhLewI

This is living history and will always have a place in the tradition, TMKD is bollocks in comparison!

Cheers,

Andrez

PS: For what its worth, I've actually been to Dageragu through work and I've stood in Wattie Creek and while I don't have Indigenous ties of any kind let alone to that 'country', it still 'speaks' to you and the didge's drone and the clapsticks take me right back there every time.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 01:34 AM

Andrez, I won't disagree with you about the relative merits of the two songs, but I bet a lot more Australians (and American, and Brits) know Kangaroo than know Gurindji. If some misguided folkie started in on Kangaroo at a singing session at the National I think a lot more people would sing along than would be able to if the next person offered up Gurindji.

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 02:33 AM

The Vestey family, Britain's most notorious tax avoiders, are close friends of the Royal Family. Prince Harry's godmother, Celia Knight, is one of the Vestey family.

A very fine family indeed, one or two good polo players, and my wife's grandfather did business with their Buenos Aires company many years ago.

I'm pleased to read that that they play the system!

Subject: RE: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 02:35 AM

I meant the tax system!

Nothing wrong with Rolf Harris's lyrics.