Monday's Poetry: "Waltzing Matilda"

by Pa Rock
Poetry Appreciator


Andrew "Banjo" Paterson was an Australian poet whose works are known and loved the world over.  Two of his most famous compositions are "Waltzing Matilda, " discussed below, and "The Man from Snowy River," which inspired the American movie in 1982 starring Kirk Douglas.

"Waltzing Matilda" was written in 1895 and quickly morphed into a popular song.  It became so popular, in fact, that it is now recognized as one of the ten most recorded songs of all time.   The meaning of the lyrics have always been a subject of controversy.  Four versions of "Waltzing Matilda" have evolved over the years, but the words that follow are believed to be the original lyrics as written by Mr. Paterson.

I first became acquainted with "Waltzing Matilda" as a student in junior high where it was one of the staples in the music books that we used in chorus.  The words and phrasing are purely Australian, giving many American students their first exposure to the dialect from down under.

Have fun with this!

Waltzing Matilda
by Andrew "Banjo" Paterson

Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabong
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree
And he sang as he looked at the 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 leading a tucker 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 in glee
And he said as he put him away in the tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

You'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda leading a tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Down came the squatter a riding on his thoroughbred
Down came policemen one, two and three
Where is the jumbuck you've got in the tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

You'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda leading a tucker bag
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

But the swagman he ups and he jumps in the water hole
Drowning himself by the Coolibah tree
And his ghost can be heard as it sings in the billabong
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Vocabulary Key:

• waltzing Matilda ~ to go walkabout carrying your swag
• walkabout ~ walking in the bush for an extended period of time
• swag ~ a pack or bundle containing the personal belongings of a swagman.
• swagman ~ a drifter (person without a permanent place to live) who carried his swag as he travelled the country on foot looking for work. He was a common sight during the depression of the 1890's and 1930's.
• squatter ~ a grazier or station (ranch) owner especially with a large landholding. Today squatter means a person illegally occupying a property.
• billy ~ a tin can with a wire handle or a pot. To make tea, water was boiled in it and a handful of tea thrown in.
• tucker bag ~ bag to carry your tucker (food)
• jumbuck ~ sheep
• coolibah ~ species of gum or eucalyptus tree; coolabah (alternate spelling)
• billabong ~ a dead-end channel extending from the main stream of a river filled with water only in the rainy season.