Lyr Add: Kookaburra

Subject: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 18 Oct 97 - 05:15 PM

And here's another one that I was amazed not to find in the DT:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra!
Gay your life must be!

It's not like there's any American who doesn't know these songs (maybe Alan or someone can tell us whether "Kookaburra" is actually sing in Australia), but I thought I'd submit them for completeness.

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Helen
Date: 18 Oct 97 - 07:42 PM

Yes Kookaburra is sung in Australia. I first sang it in the Brownies, i.e.junior Girl Guides a loooooooong time ago :-)

Helen

Subject: Lyr Add: KOOKABURRA
From: Shula
Date: 18 Oct 97 - 11:19 PM

Dear Jerry,

KOOKABURRA

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Merry, merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh, Kookaburra; laugh, Kookaburra;
Gay your life must be!

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Eating all the gumdrops he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra; stop, Kookaburra;
Leave some there for me.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Counting all the monkeys he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra; stop, Kookaburra;
That's not a monkey, that's me!

Shula

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: dani
Date: 20 Oct 97 - 09:32 AM

From one of my daughter's tapes:

Kookaburra up on the 'lectric wire better watch out or you'll catch on fire OUCH Kookaburra OUCH Kookaburra sore your tail must be...

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Susan of DT
Date: 20 Oct 97 - 03:11 PM

verse 3 for Kookabuura:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
With a toothache big as can be
Ha, Kookaburra, ha, kookaburra
Didn't save any for me

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 21 Oct 97 - 07:42 PM

Variant last line from Shula's

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, Counting all the monkeys he can see. Stop, Kookaburra; stop, Kookaburra; Don't you dare count me.

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Marjorie
Date: 27 Aug 99 - 05:31 AM

I know this is a very old thread, but I'm desperate. Somewhere on the net is there a midi of Kookaburra? I can send you a photo of the bird and a wav. of his laugh. My brother and I have searched for way too long!

Why do we want it?

Good memories, pretty melody, and mostly because we can't find it!

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: alison
Date: 27 Aug 99 - 05:44 AM

if no one beats me to it I'll do it tomorrow... heading out to the folk club

slainte

alison

Subject: Tune Add: KOOKABURRA
From: alison
Date: 27 Aug 99 - 05:51 AM

Ah well 5 minutes late won't hurt.....

here's the tune in MIDI and ABC.. let me know if you want a GIF.

MIDI file: KOOKAB~1.MID

Timebase: 480

Name: KOOKABURRA
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 080 (750000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: C
Start
0000 1 67 095 0118 0 67 095 0002 1 67 098 0118 0 67 098 0002 1 67 103 0118 0 67 103 0002 1 67 100 0118 0 67 100 0002 1 69 103 0238 0 69 103 0002 1 69 107 0118 0 69 107 0002 1 69 103 0118 0 69 103 0002 1 67 103 0238 0 67 103 0002 1 64 098 0238 0 64 098 0002 1 67 111 0238 0 67 111 0002 1 64 098 0238 0 64 098 0002 1 64 107 0118 0 64 107 0002 1 64 095 0118 0 64 095 0002 1 64 103 0118 0 64 103 0002 1 64 104 0118 0 64 104 0002 1 65 103 0238 0 65 103 0002 1 65 109 0118 0 65 109 0002 1 65 088 0118 0 65 088 0002 1 64 111 0238 0 64 111 0002 1 60 095 0240 1 64 103 0031 0 60 095 0207 0 64 103 0002 1 60 091 0237 0 60 091 0003 1 72 109 0480 1 69 100 0014 0 72 109 0104 0 69 100 0002 1 71 095 0118 0 71 095 0002 1 72 103 0118 0 72 103 0002 1 69 100 0118 0 69 100 0002 1 67 107 0478 0 67 107 0002 1 64 091 0118 0 64 091 0002 1 65 098 0118 0 65 098 0002 1 67 103 0118 0 67 103 0002 1 64 078 0118 0 64 078 0002 1 60 121 0238 0 60 121 0002 1 60 103 0238 0 60 103 0002 1 60 107 0238 0 60 107 0002 1 60 102 0238 0 60 102 0002 1 60 098
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Kookaburra
M:4/4
Q:1/4=80
K:C
G/2G/2G/2G/2AA/2A/2GEGE|E/2E/2E/2E/2FF/2F/2ECEC|
c2A/2B/2c/2A/2G2E/2F/2G/2E/2|CCCCC4||

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: alison
Date: 27 Aug 99 - 05:53 AM

I should have checked it's in the database.. you can hear it played KOOKABURRA

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Marjorie
Date: 30 Aug 99 - 03:18 PM

Alson, My post was a stab in the dark. I didn't check back earlier because I never expected any response, especially to an outsider. And such a response!! Thanks! What sort of gif? I have two kookaburras if you'd like them. How would I send them? Anything else I can do, name it.

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Marjorie
Date: 30 Aug 99 - 03:21 PM

Alison --sorry I mistyped your name above. Leave it to me.

Subject: RE: Lyrics addition: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: alison
Date: 30 Aug 99 - 10:45 PM

No problem.....

I was talking about a GIF of the sheet music.... (all 4 bars of it!!)*grin*

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:55 PM

I don't hear that Kookaburra and Frere Jacques are the same tune. They share some notes, but FJ lacks the up-and-down bit to the words "old gum tree" and "bush is he" -- there's nothing in FJ at all like that.

Are they related in the annals of the folk process™?

O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: Joe_F
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 08:23 PM

I don't see where anybody claimed that they had the same tune. They're both here because they're both kids' rounds.

I tried playing them at the same time, and they don't even harmonize particularly well. (On the other hand, "Frère Jacques", "Three Blind Mice", and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" can all be sung at once.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Frere Jacques and Kookaburra
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 09:13 PM

My bad. I misunderstood their conjoint subjectship of the thread -- under influence of the "Down Under" thread also extant.

O..O
=o=