Howyadoin'
friends! Today, the Dial brings you a quick review, extra special like, for Halloween
times! Allow us to present a spooky little tune from the soundtrack to the 1977
animated film “Dot and the Kangaroo”… “The
Bunyip (Bunyip Moon)”
“Oh the Bunyip’s very bad… and the Bunyip’s
very bold… and they tell me that the Bunyip’s now a thousand years old…”
“Dot and the Kangaroo” combines
traditional animation with stock footage of Australian scenery and animals, and
tells the story of a little girl named Dot and a friendly kangaroo whom helps
her communicate with the other wild animals and learn about the delicate
balance of nature.
“Bunyip”
plays during a sequence in the film depicting a legendary Australian cryptid. Described
as being partly animal and partly bird, the creature has a simplistic, yet brutish,
humanoid shape, spotted skin and a large mouth with nasty teeth. The bunyip can
change its shape, and spends much of its time chasing Australian natives, drawn
here as cave painting styled men.
The
song opens with melodic and menacing piano work, and features the spine
tingling roar of the titular beast throughout. Written by Bob Young and John
Palmer, I haven’t determined if Young and Palmer are the singers here, or if it
is sung by some unnamed performers, as the credits of the film only identify Young
and Palmer as the composers. This may end up being an Australian mystery, much
like the bunyip itself.
“The bunyip’s always nasty… and the bunyip’s
very mean… it’s the most unpleasant monster… that you’ve ever seen…”
I’ve
been told the movie was aired frequently on HBO in the early 80s, but I didn’t learn
of it until about 10 years ago, when a coworker told me of the bunyip song that
scared her as a kid. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated with the creepy tune
and animation, and I can be found humming the song throughout the year, not
just during Halloween… even though it clearly fits quite nicely into the season
of ghosts and goblins.
So
take the time to send a chill up your spine, and listen to the tale of the
bunyip. I recommend a dark room, perhaps while a cold fall wind is whistling
outside the window. See if it taps into your childhood fears… and Happy
Halloween from Kyle’s Radio Dial!
“So you better come home quickly… and you
better hide very soon…
For the bunyip’s going to get
you… in the bunyip… moon.”
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