# Capybara song

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 1, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813 "2006-08-01T01:21:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813/1 "2006-08-01T01:21:14Z")

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Okay, I’m drawing a complete blank. What are the words to the capybara song?

_Capybara sitting in an old [something] tree…_

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813/2 "2006-08-01T01:24:05Z")

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I thought it was the Kookaburra.

_Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,  
Merry merry king of the woods is he…_

Why would a Mexican four-pocketed shirt sit in a tree? 🙂

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813/3 "2006-08-01T01:28:18Z")

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> [@Dooku](#):
>
> I thought it was the Kookaburra.

Aha! You are correct.

It’s been so long since I was a kid… ☹

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813/4 "2006-08-01T01:28:25Z")

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It’s [kookaburra,](http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/kookaburra.htm) not capybara. A [kookaburra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra) is an Australian bird. A [capybara](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara) is a hundred-pound rodent from South America. If you spot one of those sitting in a gum tree . . . move out of the way!

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**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813/5 "2006-08-01T01:28:27Z")

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[Words to the rhyme and a downloadable MP3.](http://tinyurl.com/qm3us)

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capybara-song/366813/6 "2006-08-01T01:42:19Z")

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> [@Dooku](#):
>
> Why would a Mexican four-pocketed shirt sit in a tree? 🙂

b/c it was being worn by a giant rodent, it would seem. :o