WALTZING MATILDA
by Banjo Paterson

.Original Manuscript
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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, who’ll come a waltzing matilda with me?"

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

"Who’ll come a waltzing matilda with me??"

 

Up came a jumbuck to drink out that waterhole

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!!"

 

Chorus .....

 

Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred

Up came the troopers, one! two!! three!!!

"Where’s that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?

You’ll come a waltzing matilda with me!!"

 

Chorus .....

 

Up jumped the swagman, sprang into that billabong

"You’ll never catch me alive!" said he..

And his GHOST (sing softly and slowly) may be heard as you pass

by that billabong..

"You’ll come a waltzing matilda with me!"

 

"Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda, who’ll come a waltzing matilda with me?"

And his GHOST (sing softly and slowly) may be heard

as you pass by that billabong

"Who’ll come a waltzing matilda with me?"

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Waltzing Matilda is a legend, and was written by Andrew (Banjo) Patterson. It was later made into a song, and is a well known tune often sung by soldiers going into battle, as well as at sporting events and other celebrations

"One day a squatter (big land owner) came upon a swagman (one who carried his swag in depression times) cooking a stolen jumbuck (sheep) under a coolibah (eucalyptus) tree.

Fearing arrest, he jumped into a billabong, probably drowning by accident. His ghost has been waltzing ever since."

  • A matilda is a knapsack
    A tucker bag is for carrying food
    A billy is for boiling water
    A billabong is a river backwash, or waterhole
    The words are attributed to Andrew (Banjo) Patterson

.

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