HARRIS ANGERS ABORIGINALS WITH SONG ‘APOLOGY’
Australian singer and TV personality ROLF HARRIS has caused uproar after apologising to the Aboriginal community for racist lyrics in his 1960 song TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN, SPORT - by insulting them again.
The 78-year-old initially released the song Down Under with the words: "Let me Abos go loose, Lew/ Let me Abos go loose/ They’re of no further use, Lew/ So let me Abos go loose".
The term Abos appeared to refer to Australia’s Aboriginals and their servitude in the past.
It caused controversy when it was first released, and Harris was subsequently pressured into changing the lyrics so as not to offend.
He issued an apology for using the term on Friday (28Nov08) - more than 40 years after it was originally released - saying, "It was a mark of the times, done totally innocently with no realisation that you would offend." Harris claimed he had only set out to write a fun song for Aussies "drinking themselves stupid" in London in the ’60s.
But he then went on to incense the Aboriginal people further by apparently blaming them for the poor condition of their communities.
He ranted, "In their original way of life they would wreck the countryside and go walk-about to the next place. The attitude is still there."
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
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