Waltzing Matilda
Words: A.B.[Banjo]Patterson
Music: Scottish march 'Craigielee', Slim Dusty, Becky Deano
 

Lead in:  (to words of:)
      4    -5 -6   7  -7b  -6 6 6     6  -5
| "You'll come a Waltzing Matilda | with me".

 -6 -6 -6 -6     6  6   -5 6  -6 -5-4  5    -5   4 -5  -6   7    7 7
Once a jolly | swagman camped by a billa | bong under the shade of a |
    7 7 7    7    -5  6    -6  -6 -6    6     6   -5  6
| coolabah tree. And he | sang as he watched and waited |
    -6  -5  -4 5   -5        4    -5 -6     7  -7b  -6 6 6   6  -5 -->
| 'til his billy boiled, "you'll come a | waltzing Matilda with me". |

REFRAIN
--> 7   7   7 7 -6    -9 -9  -9 8 -8     7       7  7   -8  7   7  7
| Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda, you'll | come a waltzing Matil |
 -7b  -6   6    -5  6  -6  -6 -6      6     6    -5     6   -6 -5 -4
| da with me". And he sang as he | watched and waited 'til his billy |
    5 -5      4    -5  -6  7  -7b    -6 6 6   6  -5
| boiled, "You'll come a Waltzing | Matilda with me". |

    -6   -6 -6  6   6  -5   6     -6  -5  -4 5 -5    4   -5    -6
| Down came a jumbuck to drink | at the billabong. Up jumped the |
    7  7   7      7    7    7    7      -5  6  -6  -6 -6    6     6
| swagman and grabbed him with glee. | And he sang as he stowed that |
   -5  6  -6  -5  -4  5  -5      4      -5 -6    7 -7b  -6 6   
| jumbuck in his tucker bag, "You'll | come a waltzing Mathil |
   6   6  -5      7   7   7  7 -6   -9  -9   -9 8    -8    7      7  7   -8  7
| da with me."  Waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathil | da, you'll come a waltzing |
    7 7 -7b -6   6    -5  6  -6    -6 -6    6     6   -5  6
| Mathilda with me." And he sang | as he stowed that Jumbuck |
  -6  -5  -4  5  -5      4    -5 -6     7  -7b  -6 6 6    6  -5
| in his tucker bag, "You'll come a | waltzing Mathilda with me".  |

  -6  -6   -6    6  6       -5  6 -6  -5  -4  5    -5  
| Up rode the squatter, | mounted on his thorough bred, |
    4   -5   -6   7  7     7      7     7       -6     -6  -6 -6
| down came the troopers, one, | two, three. "Where's that jolly |
   6   6    -5    6  -6  -5   -4     5   -5       4     -5 -6   7 -7b
| jumbuck you've got in your tuck | er  bag"?  "You'll come a waltzing |
   -6 6  6   6  -5      7  7   7  7 -6    -9     -9  -9 8 -8     7     7  7
| Mathilda with me". Waltzing Mathilda, waltz | ing Mathilda, you'll come a |
    -8  7    7 7-7b  -6   6
| waltzing Mathilda with me". |

     -6     -6  -6 -6  6   6      -5    6  -6  -5   -4  5  -5      4
| "Where's that jolly jumbuck | you've got in your tucker bag"? You'll |
   -5 -6   7  -7b  -6 6     6   6  -5   -6   -6    -6 
| come a waltzing Mathil | da with me". Up jumped the |
    6  6    6    -5    6-6  -5   -4    5 -5       4   -5 -6   7    7
| swagman, and sprang into this bill | abong, "you'll never catch me |
  7  7      7   7   -5  6      -6   -6 -6   6    6  6  -5 6
| alive", said he. And his | ghost may be heard as you pass |
  -6  -5   -4 5 -5       4    -5 -6      7 -7b   -6 6  6   6  -5
| by that billabong, "you'll come a | waltzing, Mathilda with me". |

    7   7   7  7 -6     -9  -9   -9 8 -8     7       7  7  -8   7   7  7
| Waltzing Mathilda, | waltzing Mathilda, you'll | come a waltzing Mathil |
 -7b  -6   6     -5  6  -6  -6 -6      6     6    6 -5   6   -6 -5 -4
| da with me."  And he sang as he | watched and waited 'til his billy |
     5  -5    4    -5 -6   7  -7b    -6 6  6   6  -5   R
| boiled, "you'll come a waltzing | Mathilda with me."   |

• Billabong: A waterhole.
   
• Billy: A can or small kettle used to boil water for tea.
   
• Coolabah tree: A type of native tree in Australia
   
• Jumbuck: A sheep. There are 20 times as many sheep as there are people in Australia.
   
• Matilda: Although there are several schools of thought, Matilda as originally used means is of Teutonic origins and means Mighty Battle Maiden, referring to the women in camps during the Thirty Year Wars in Europe. Later this more commonly referred to the great army coats or blankets that soldiers rolled into a swag and tossed over their shoulders while marching.
   
• Squatter: At one time, squatters claimed (seized) land for themselves in addition to land that they had been granted. Eventually through the continuous occupation of the land, their claims were legitimised in the eyes of the law.
   
• Swagman: Someone who lives on the open road. A hobo. The term came from the canvas bag that they would carry their bedroll and/or belongings in.
   
• Trooper: In Australia's early days, there was no police force. The colony was protected by and policed by soldiers and even when a police force was eventually formed, they were still referred to as 'troopers'.
   
• Tucker bag: A knapsack or bag for storing food in the bush.

Back to Old Time Favorites Home Page
From June 30, 2006

     
Wendy Matthews, John Schumann, & Brian Cadd (Australia Day 2009                                                                     Slim Dusty


Becky Deano

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