WALTZING MATILDA

The words to the song Waltzing Matilda were written in 1895
by Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson.

 

 

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.

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
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 watched and waited 'till his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

Up rode a squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three:
"Where's the jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?
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 watched and waited 'till his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me.

 

  • Swagman = Itinerant farmhand carrying his "swag" (blanket) rolled into a cylinder 
  • Billabong = waterhole or creek
  • Coolibah = type of eucalyptus gum tree
  • Jumbuck = young sheep
  • Tuckerbag = food sack
  • Squatter = property owner, farmer, grazier who found good land and took possession of it. 
  • Trooper = policeman or soldier on horseback 
  • Billy = a tin can used to heat water over a campfire to make tea
Waltzing Matilda
Page 2

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