Composition Notes

This is that rare thing - a song which comes all at once. I was driving to a gig - about an hours drive and the words just tumbled out. It's also a cautionary tale in the tradition of Hillaire Belloc

Don't know where the melody came from but I was doing quite a lot of hundred-year-old musichall songs so I expect someone can enlighten me.

INXS are mentioned because I really like Mystify Me and I imagine a kangaroo would like it too

Recorded 2015

The Right-Handed Kangaroo 39

V1 I’ll tell you a story it’s sad but it’s true about little joeys complaint

It was a behaviour so bizarre and so strange that would try the goodwill of a saint

He looked just like all other red roos and he loved playing out in the sun

But when he held a paw out they all looked aghast and they mocked him to kingdom come

You see he was right-handed just like an alien had landed

His dad said now joe you’ll be no son of mine if you cant lead with your left

2 At school in the playground they weren’t very nice they just spat at him and were rude

On sports day they hid all his nice new games kit so he had to go and run in the nude

He went home in tears but his mummy said look some kangas are just not very nice

If you’re being bullied the only thing you can do is stick up for yourself in a fight

But he felt very lonely coz he was the one and only

Right-handed kangaroo on the plains of New South Wales

3 Sure enough it came to blows but now it could be seen his defect turned into a gift

As the mob came towards him the plan was the same as they were all striking out with their left

He just ducked aside and as they shook their heads

He whacked them full right to the chin

Not very sporting the other kids cried and they kicked up a kangaroo din

But he was furious he was kicking out

He didn’t think it fair they were picking on him just because he wasn’t the same

4 He wanted to join in the kangaroo band but they all played the other way round

He picked up a horn but imagine their shock when it made such a very sweet sound

The other band players resented him there they whispered behind him in class

Some were malicious the others were weak and they soon kicked him out on his arse

BR He could play the boogie he could play bowie

and he played INXS mystify mystify me

[INST]

[mouthpiece buzzing]

5 They labelled him cuckoo they labelled him mad they labelled him totally weird

His mummy took him off to a kangaroo shrink and he talked to a roo with a beard

He tried self –harming but it hurt him too much and he couldn’t hold the knife to make cuts

Every time they restrained him he wriggled away and gave them a kick in the nuts

But he was a misfit and didn’t like this one bit

It’s hard to adjust to the modern world you really need to fit in

6 He decided at last that he wasn’t screwed up and proceeded to live life anew

But his demise when it came was a tragic mistake and you’d hardly believe it was true

He took up skydiving went up in a plane and he jumped out at five thousand feet

But the ripcord was fitted on the opposite side he landed dead in a crumpled heap

His life had been flourishing but he ended up perishing

All we can say with any certainty is you never know how it will end