Waltzing Matilda
Oh! there once was a swagman camped in a Billabong,
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree;
And he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, my darling?
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
Waltzing Matilda and leading a water-bag --
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water-hole,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee;
And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker-bag,
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me."
Down came the Squatter a-riding his thoroughbred;
Down came Policemen -- one, two and three.
"Whose is the jumbuck you've got in the tucker-bag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me!"
But the swagman he up and he jumped in the water-hole,
Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree;
And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
Commentary
Notes: Published as sheet music in 1903. This is Paterson’s original version; I’ve included a link to the somewhat altered popular version
There is little doubt that Waltzing Matilda belongs in any collection of immortal narrative verse. As one commentator put it,
Waltzing Matilda is an Australian icon. It is quite likely that more Australians know the words to this song than the national anthem. There is probably no other song that is more easily recognised by a populace: young or old: ocker or a newly arrived immigrant.
– http://www.ozramp.net.au/~senani/waltz.htm
and even outside its homeland, it is unquestionably the world’s best known piece of Australian writing. Or perhaps that should be “writing and music”, for the words are inextricably entwined with the tune (I have to wonder how popular the poem, with its heavy use of Australianisms, would have been internationally were it not for the delightfully catchy tune - it is definitely a great poem, but I wouldn’t really call it accessible. The tune has ensured, though, that people do take the time to find out what exactly all the words mean.)
While I have chosen to run Paterson’s original words, I do think the popular version is in several ways an improvement upon it. (Indeed, while WM is Paterson’s most famous work, it is far from his best). The greatest improvement is in line two of the last verse - the rather weak
Drowning himself by the coolabah tree
becomes
You’ll never catch me alive, said he
and lends the song that touch of desperate, defiant romance that was missing from its earlier incarnation.
— Martin
Links
http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/WM/ is a great starting point for all things related to the poem
Biography of Paterson: http://www.waltzingmatilda.com/wmbanjo.html
The popular “Marie Cowan” version of the poem, with annotations:
http://www.ozramp.net.au/~senani/waltz.htm
The original “Queensland” version, with sheet music and several midi
files: http://www.uq.edu.au/~mlwham/banjo/waltzing_matilda.html
Paterson's handwritten manuscript:
[broken link] http://waltzingmatilda.com/wmwords.html
Bogle’s “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”: Poem #981
The current theme:
[broken link] http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/collections/58.html