Kookaburra Song

Plagiarism was limited to internet world according to my humble understandings but now it has dawned on me that almost every aspect of our lives is under plagiarism. According to an Australian judge the famous flute riff in Down Under of Men at Work is nothing but a plagiarism of a 1932 nursery rhyme known as Kookaburra Song.

The Australian quiz show “Spicks & Specks” was the cause behind the legal battle that lasted for three years. The trivial question placed at the show was, to name the Australian folksong that can be heard in a popular single that was first released in 1979. The answer to this question was none other than Kookaburra song.

Kookaburra Song was written by a teacher Marion Sinclair and it was entered into a competition held by Girl Guide Association of Victoria and song became an instant hit and a legendary song. After seven decades this song is still heard in Australian schools.

Larrikin Publishing bought the copyrights for the song in 90 two years after the death of Sinclair but a trivial question asked at the show realized the Managing Director of the Company to go for a lawsuit for similarities or plagiarism.

Judge Peter Jacobsoen found that Land Down Under is mimicking of the Kookaburra song. The court documents establish that Greg Ham added the flute riff to add some Australian flavor to the song and he was quite sure of having this nursery rhyme in his school book. Land down under is considered Australian Anthem.

Enough with the court findings and judgment made by the honored judge let us enjoy the rhyme;

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry, merry king of the bush is he,

Laugh, kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra,

Gay your life must be

If the beautiful rhyme is not considered a plagiarism by the editor then readers would find it a beautiful song to rhyme while jogging in woods.