Songs mentioning kangaroos in the title or lyrics - #10 – Tenterfield Saddler – Peter Allen

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My 10th choice about songs featuring the word ‘kangaroo’ in the title or lyrics is Peter Allen’s Tenterfield Traveller. Allen’s real name was Peter Richard Woolnough and he was born in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. The song tells the story of his grandfather, George Woolnough, who had the saddler’s shop in the small town. Allen’s father was a violent alcoholic who shot himself after returning from the Second World War, an incident from which George never recovered. Peter was only young at the time but it must surely have had an impact on him. An extension of the Tenterfield library was named the ‘George Woolnough Wing’ in 2005. Peter Allen married Liza Minnelli in 1967 but they divorced in 1974, with Peter then acknowledging his homosexuality and living the remainder of his life with Gregory Connell. Connell died in 1984 from an AIDS-related illness and Allen died in 1992 from AIDS-related throat cancer His ashes were scattered at sea. I like knowing the background to a song as it can help explain lyrics which might otherwise be hard to comprehend. The photo is one I always call ‘breakfast in bed’ and was taken just a short distance from our kitchen window.