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WALTZING MATILDA
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
under the shade of a coolabah tree
and he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole
up jumped a swagman and grabbed him in glee
and he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
Up rode the squatter a riding his thoroughbred
up rode the trooper - one,
two, three
"where's that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
But the swagman he up and 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?
Notes:
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.
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 bag
for storing food in the bush.
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