[Credit: iStockphoto/Ralph Loesche]
In the fourth grade my best friend at the time, Robert, and I promised each other that someday we would go to Australia together. We were fascinated with the “land down under” and we often sang Rolf Harris’ song “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” without knowing what any of it meant. How does one tie down a kangaroo anyway — and why?
Today while browsing Science Daily I came across what looked like it might be the real and more logical line: Fry me Kangaroo Brown, Sport. I thought, wow, that makes sense. For years I had sung tie/down when it should have been fry/brown! After all, I went to Australia a few years ago (without Robert) and I did eat a roo burger while there. Chuckling at having butchered the song lyrics for so many years I looked it up to find — no, I was right in the first place.
“Fry me kangaroo brown” is a great fake malapropism that highlights a serious suggestion. Namely, that cattle farming is very harmful to the environment, everywhere, and switching from beef to roo is actually a sound environmental choice for Australia. It would mean a much more sustainable and native source of meat than cattle or sheep.
There are some draw backs though. Kangaroos are much cuter than cows, esp. the smaller roos like the pademelons I saw every night while there. The kanagroo is a national, iconic symbol for Australia. And, finally, I did not much think the roo burger I had was very good. Guess I could get used to it though. Just, ‘fry me kangaroo brown, sport.’
Rivertyde 