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 kangaroos down, sport,
Tie me kangaroos down,
Tie me kangaroos down, sport,
Tie me kangaroos down…
Let me Abos go loose, Bruce
Let me Abos go loose,
They’re of now further use, Bruce
So let me Abos go loose.
I know it’s just part of the time and culture from when it was written, but this verse has always spoiled this song for me.
That might be because he said Emus.
Mind me platypus duck, Bill
Mind me platypus duck
Like, don’t let’im go runnin’ amok, Bill
Mind me platypus duck.
Tan me hide when I’m dead, Fred
Tan me hide when I’m dead…
…So we taned his hide when he died, Clyde
and that’s it hanging on the shed. 
Zev Steinhardt
All together now!
< Chorus >
::: rattles length of tin roof removed from the Cecil archives, for appropriate bullroarer effect :::
Every version I’ve seens says “Abos”. I agree that it’s a bad verse. Here’s what one site has to say:
Aside from that one verse, it’s still a great song though.
(When I was a wee little lad of three, I thought he was singing tiny kangaroo down…)
A bullroarer is swung around your head to make an eerie kind of roaring sound.
Rolf, however, used a “wobble-board”.
who’s going to start “jake the peg”?
When I was in high school Rolf Harris turned up, out of the blue, and performed a concert for the whole school. As a surly rock loving teenager I had no intention of enjoying someone like him. Of course he was terrific and very funny.
Oh great ! Now I’ve got the wobble-board stuck in my head, wobbling away to that tune.
Did anyone happen to hear Rolf’s version of Stairway to Heaven? The lyrics are at the link, but the actual performance is much funnier.
jayjay
Then I stand corrected, and thanks.
Ditto on the “tiny kangaroo” interpretation, as a lad of six.
wobble wobble wobble
And he’s a Sandgroper!
I’m Jake the Peg…
With me extra leg…
That was from the ABC TV show The Money or the Gun in which host Andrew Denton gave each musical guest a musical challenge to play. Every week the challenge was Stairway to Heaven. An album of versions was released - Stairways to Heaven .
I have his tape “Live from the Sydney Opera House” somewhere around here. There is an American version:
Plant me high on a hill, Will
Turn mah face to the sky.
Well we’ll plant ya high on the hill, phil
If’n you’ll just shut up and die.
Once a jolly swagman
Camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibar tree…
And he sang
as he sat
And waited while his billy boiled…
Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with meeeeee?