Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
1957 song written by Rolf Harris / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Australian singer Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit around the world in the 1960s in two recordings (1960 in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for the original, and 1963 in the United States with a re-recording of the song). Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, most noticeably "The Jack-Ass Song", it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed.
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" | ||||
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Single by Rolf Harris | ||||
B-side | "The Big Black Hat" | |||
Written | 1957 | |||
Released | 1960 | |||
Recorded | 1960 | |||
Genre | Folk, pop, comedy, novelty | |||
Length | 3:03 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Rolf Harris | |||
Rolf Harris singles chronology | ||||
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"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" | |
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Song by the Wiggles featuring Rolf Harris | |
from the album It's a Wiggly Wiggly World | |
Released | 20 March 2000[1] |
Studio | Albert Studios, Sydney, Australia |
Genre | Children's |
Length | 1:38 |
Label | ABC (AUS) Hit Entertainment (US) Koch (US) |
Songwriter(s) | Rolf Harris |
Producer(s) | The Wiggles |
Harris originally offered four unknown Australian backing musicians 10% of the royalties for the song in 1960, but they decided to take a recording fee of £28 among them because they thought the song would be a flop.[2] The distinctive sound of Harris's original recording was achieved by the use of an instrument of his own design called the "wobble board"—a two-by-three-foot piece of hardboard.[3][4]
The recording peaked at No. 1 in the Australian charts[5] and was a top 10 hit in the UK in 1960. In 1963, Harris re-recorded the song in the UK with George Martin as producer, and this remake of the song reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent three weeks atop the Easy Listening chart in 1963.[6] "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" was a surprise hit on the US R&B chart where it went to No. 19.[7] The song reached No. 20 on the Canadian CHUM Chart.[8]
The song was used by the WWF in the late 1980s as the theme song of enhancement talent wrestler Outback Jack. Other versions were recorded by Connie Francis (for her 1966 album Connie Francis and The Kids Next Door) and by Pat Boone.[9] A version by the Brothers Four can be found on their CD The Brothers Four, Greatest Hits.