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Clip description
This is the first verse of ‘Jailanguru Pakarnu’, a 12-bar rock and blues song performed in this clip by the Warumpi Band. It is the first rock song in an Aboriginal language to achieve widespread airplay and recognition.
Curator’s notes
'Jailanguru Pakarnu’ is rock-blues in style. Clearly influenced by ’50s exponents like Chuck Berry and songs like 'Johnny B Goode’, the Warumpi Band give it their own distinctive twist. They pare back the sound to just guitar and drums, while the beat seems slightly faster than most rock-blues songs. This gives it a jaunty, upbeat feel you can dance to, and which is entirely appropriate to the joy of getting out of jail.
Add to this the fact that the lyrics are sung in their own language and you get a totally original pop song that cut through to the mainstream to achieve widespread appeal.
This clip includes the opening four lines of the song. The lyrics in Luritja are:
Ngayulu kuwarri jailguru pakarnu
Ngayulu kuwarri jailguru pakarnu
Warumpilakutu ngayulu ananyi
Ngayulu kikiri ananyi kungka ngayuku patarni
The English translation is:
Today I just got out of jail
Well today I just got out of jail
I’m going to Papunya now
I’m going in a hurry for my girl is waiting
That the band didn’t compromise and sing in English is one reason they were so popular in their own communities. They played and sang about their everyday experiences, their culture, their land and their family. The title, translated as ‘Out from Jail’, can be interpreted as symbolic of escaping ‘Western’ values and returning to ‘Papunya’ where the band can live in their own culture.
