Seagulls Ska

Biography & Overview

"Tom Hark" is an instrumental South African kwela song from the 1950s, believed to have been composed by Jack Lerole. The song was arranged for penny whistle and first recorded by Elias and His Zig-Zag Jive Flutes – a South African band formed by pennywhistlers Jack and his brother Elias Lerole – and released in 1956. It was later released in the United Kingdom after it was used as a theme on a television series, and it reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1958.
Recording artists of various genres have covered the song, and some added original lyrics. A version by the Piranhas became a hit in 1980 in the UK, and it has been adapted into football chants.