What a resource...

Even though I have been using the internet for many years now (and must confess it was a great contributor towards my Management Diploma research), I am still astounded sometimes at the wealth of information out there and the ease at which it can be found.

Case in point, I was taking a shower a while ago and a tune entered in my head for no apparent reason. The more I started humming the tune to myself, the harder it became to recall what it was. It was something to do with an aboriginal lullaby I heard years ago on a Rolf Harris show whilst he created one of his "can you tell what it is yet" pieces. Suddenly, I could visualise his painting of children in a boat sailing across a lake under an orange sunset towards the "land of dreams". Come to think of it, I remember the schoolgirls singing it in "Picnic at Hanging Rock" so I should be able to find it on the IMDB film credits. Usually an invaluable resource but not this time, so I had to resort to Googling. A few clicks later and there it was.

The song is called Carra Barra Wirra Canna, based on an aboriginal tune but with English lyrics translating the phrase to "Little Star upon the Lake". The full lyrics are as follows:

There's a lake in south Australia
Little lake with lovely name
And the story woven round it
From the piccaninnies came
Every night the native mothers
Croon this lovely lullaby,
Croon across the moonlit waters
To the star up in the sky

Carra Barra Wirra Canna
Little star upon the lake
Guide me through the hours of darkness
Keep me safely till I wake

Piccaninnies' heads are nodding
Drowsy crooning fills the air
Little eyes at last are closing
And the boat of dreams is there
Guide my boat across the waters
Cross the waters still and deep
Light me with your little candle
Safely to the land of sleep

Carra Barra Wirra Canna
Little star upon the lake
Guide me through the hours of darkness
Keep me safely till I wake

More incredibly, I managed to find a copy of the actual picture.
Quite a result all round, although why exactly I had the urge to sing a lullaby first thing in the morning still escapes me, but it's hardly surprising that I couldn't remember the song title...