Songs mentioning kangaroos - #3 - Kanga Roo - Jeff Buckley

Red kangaroo - Erldunda
@JudyEv (382664)
Rockingham, Australia
November 14, 2017 6:28am CST
My third song that has ‘kangaroo’ in the title or lyrics is called ‘Kanga Roo’ and the lyrics are by Van Morrison. I can brag a little here and say my son has played bass in a group backing Van Morrison at a gig somewhere in Ireland. Again I have no idea what the song is about. Maybe they just wanted something to rhyme with ‘you’. It’s sung here by Jeff Buckley. Our kangaroos are Western greys (Macropus fuliginosus). Kangaroos are macropods which means ‘big foot’. The term is especially used for the four members of the Macropus genus. As well as the western greys, there are eastern greys (slightly larger), antilopines (the far north equivalent of the western and eastern) and the red kangaroo. The latter is not as pretty as our greys and they have a Roman nose and a red coat. They are the largest of the macropods. Surviving marsupial in the world and are found in the arid and semi-arid centre of Australia. A large male may be 2 metres (6’7”) tall and weigh 90 kg (200lb). The roo in the photo was at Erldunda on the way to Uluru. It’s not the best photo but you can see that he is a totally different colour to ‘our’ roos and his head is quite masculine, for want of a better word. And he seems to have big ears! I have another great photo of one flat on his back catching a suntan but I’ll put that up in a comment.
Jeff Buckley - Kanga-Roo [from Grace Legacy Edition 2004, bonus disc]
10 people like this
11 responses
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
14 Nov 17
I'm guessing this won't be a very long list. Unless of course 'Elvis, The Kangaroo years' completely passed me by.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
I need to come up with ten if I'm to be considered a major player in the 'song series' team.
3 people like this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
15 Nov 17
@JudyEv You might have to widen the category to Marsupials!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Nov 17
@WorDazza I've got my ten. Some mention kangaroo once; and a couple twice but I'm counting them as legitimate. I don't know that I'd do much better with marsupials. I can't think of one single song that has the word 'marsupial' in it.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Nov 17
I have heard of Jeff Buckley but not this song.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
The lyrics mean nothing to me but that's not unusual. I'm glad I've found something you're not familiar with.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
14 Nov 17
Wow I never realized the roos could grow so big, are they good-natured or aggressive?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
Wild bucks that lose their fear of humans become aggressive and if cornered, they will turn and fight but pets, if they're not teased, make wonderful pets. They are quite affectionate.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
17 Nov 17
@JudyEv I just think they are so cute.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56443)
• Canada
14 Nov 17
And the first thing that I noticed in this picture was the size of his feet. I think that a picture of a kangaroo sunbathing would be neat to see, I look forward to it.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
Red kangaroo sunbaking - Erldunda
I like to oblige. Here he is.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (56443)
• Canada
14 Nov 17
@JudyEv Oh I love it! He looks so comfy lying there, I hope that he's got his sunscreen on so he doesn't burn
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
@Juliaacv He does look comfy - not a care in the world!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43684)
• Denver, Colorado
15 Nov 17
I've never heard this by him Bloody awesome!
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@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Nov 17
Do you think so? But it doesn't seem to mean anything. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43684)
• Denver, Colorado
15 Nov 17
@JudyEv - 14 minute jams are right up my alley.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
14 Nov 17
How interesting. I didn't realize they were so hunched over like that.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
They bend over like that to get their front paws on the ground. They will support themselves on their paws then lift their hind legs forward. If they are feeding they 'walk' in this way. They don't always hop everywhere.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
14 Nov 17
@JudyEv I didn't know that... I thought they hopped all the time. It's an interesting looking animal up close....
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (19091)
• Indonesia
14 Nov 17
I ve never seen kangaroos in person. Are they tame?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
Sometimes an orphan one is raised as a pet and they become tame. The one pictured was probably a pet and is now kept in a big yard at a road house (service station).
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@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 17
I didn't know that there were red kangaroos, thanks for the info.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
As you can see, the dirt in the central regions is very red so they'd be hard pushed to stay any other colour!
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@amadeo (111937)
• United States
14 Nov 17
Red kangaroos really I for one never heard of this.red
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@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
The dirt in the outback is very red so the roos blend in well in the outback.
@ilocosboy (45155)
• Philippines
14 Nov 17
Now I'm waiting for the number one song about Kangaroo.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
I think I've got ten songs which is what the gurus usually come up with - so I need to do ten if I can!
@ilocosboy (45155)
• Philippines
14 Nov 17
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (57231)
14 Nov 17
Why "big foot"?
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@JudyEv (382664)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 17
Because the hind feet are so large. I can't find any stats but I'd guess the part of the leg on the ground would be somewhere around18 inches.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (57231)
15 Nov 17
@JudyEv Oh I see. This photo shows it clearly.
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