Waltzing Matilda

Today, on the eve of our departure for New Zealand, I got thinking about Australian lore. While "Advance Australia Fair" is the country's lovely official national anthem, most Australians would agree that "Waltzing Matilda" is its national song; it is certainly one that we associate with this glorious continent. "Waltzing Matilda" gives us "billabong" or waterhole (and there are bona fide waterholes, distinctly waterholes, in the bush) and "swagman" or bush traveler who carries his "swag" or bedroll and "jumbuck" or sheep... which the swagman puts in his "tucker bag" or food bag. In the song, the swagman names his bedroll Matilda, and he walks or waltzes Matilda around the countryside, and sits by his fire waiting for his "billy" (tin can for cooking) to boil. In the song, after the swagman puts a jumbuck in his tucker bag, the landowner comes to question him about the missing sheep and the swagman jumps into the billabong!

During our Road Scholar trip our group was encouraged to try the song, even with our American accents... Click here to hear the audio of our own travelers' rendition of the national song  :)

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong

Under the shade of a coolibah tree,

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:

"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong.

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee.

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag:

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me",

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag:

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred.

Down came the troopers, one, two, and three"

Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me",

"Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me.”

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong.

"You'll never take me alive!" said he

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:

"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me",

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:

"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"