Lyrics
[Spoken:] There's an old Australian stockman, lying, dying,
and he gets himself up on one elbow,
and he turns to his mates,
who are gathered 'round him and he says:.
Watch me wallabys feed mate.
Watch me wallabys feed.
They're a dangerous breed mate.
So watch me wallabys 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.
Don't go acting the fool, Curl,
just keep me cockatoo cool.
Altogether now!
Take me koala back, Jack,
take me koala back.
He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac,
so take me koala back.
Altogether now!
Mind me platypus duck, Bill,
mind me platypus duck.
Don't let him go running amok, Bill,
mind me platypus duck.
Altogether now!
Play your digeridoo, Blue,
play your digeridoo.
Keep playing 'til I shoot thro' Blue,
play your digerydoo.
Altogether now!
Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred,
tan me hide when I'm dead.
So we tanned his hide when he died Clyde,
(Spoken) And that's it hanging on the shed.
Altogether now!
Information About Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Australian songwriter and performer Rolf Harris wrote the song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" in 1957 which later went on to become a world -wide hit in the 1960s.
Rolf Harris received inspiration for this song from Harry Belafonte's calypsos. Harris used a homemade instrument called a wobble board to achieve the distinctive sound heard through-out the song.
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is about an Australian stockman who is about to die and asks his friends to take care of his affairs once he is gone. It's amongst the most successful and best known Australian songs.
Rolf Harris offered his four musicians ten percent royalties from the sales receipts of the song instead of a seven pound wage, but the four instead took the money thinking the song would be a flop.