Rolf Harris says sorry for racist song lyrics... then goes on to slam 'lazy' Aborigines



It was the song which made his name both in Britain and his native Australia.

But Rolf Harris came to regret the lyrics in his 1960 hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport for their racist slur against Aborigines. Yesterday, the veteran entertainer apologised for the reference to 'Abos' in the song.

However, Mr Harris, 78, then went on to undo all his good intentions by telling Aborigines to 'get up off your arse and clean up the streets your bloody self'.

Rolf Harris, with his 'wobbleboard', has apologised for a racist slur in his Tie Me Kangaroo Down song but then went on to add a new insult to Aborigines

He was referring to communities of indigenous Australians who complain about their poverty and filthy conditions.



The reaction in Sydney's Redfern district, where many Aborigines live, was anger coupled with calls for a further apology.

'It's a disgrace. He's got to watch his lip,' said one young man.

'It's the same old story – kick the Aborigine in the guts and blame him for everything.'

Mr Harris had initially sought to make amends for the lyrics: 'Let me Abos go loose, Lou… They're of no further use, Lou.'

He said he had tried to replace 'Abo' with 'emu' in recordings over the years but with limited success. 'It was a mark of the times, done innocently with no realisation that you would offend at all,' he said.

The Australian entertainer playing the didgeridoo. The new racial controversy erupted as Rolf launched a book of illustrations in Melbourne during a visit from his base in London

'I just trying to create a fun song for a bunch of Aussies who were drinking themselves stupid on Swan Lager in London at the time.'

The new controversy erupted as Mr Harris launched a book of illustrations in Melbourne during a visit from his base in London. He turned the grievances of many Aborigines back on to the people themselves.

'You sit at home watching the television and you think to yourself, "Get up off your arse and clean up the streets your bloody self" and why would you expect somebody to come in and clean up your garbage, which you've dumped everywhere? 'But then you have to think that it's a different attitude to life.'

He said Aboriginal children were never disciplined or expected to adhere to rules until adulthood. 'Till then, they have a totally carefree life to do what they want and that quite often involves smashing everything that they have,' he told The Age newspaper.

Mr Harris blamed Aboriginal traditional values for the appalling conditions in many communities.



He added: 'The attitude is that, in their original way of life, they would really wreck the surrounding countryside that they lived in and they would leave all the garbage and they would go walkabout to the next place.

'The traditional attitude is still there and I wish there was a simple solution – but I'm not certain.'

Mr Harris has previously apologised for the song lyrics, telling Radio Scotland in 2006 that he had not sung the offending verse since 1960. 'I have great love and respect for the Aborigines,' he said.



The song was recorded in an era when racism against indigenous Australians was rife.