Spoken

( Waltzing Matilda is a song about an Australian Hobo

I guess you'd call him. He wanders through the bush

land of Australia and he takes all his meagre belongings

wrapped up in an old blanket which is strung across his

shoulders with an old piece of twine and this is called his swag.

Hence the name swagman. Now affectionately or otherwise

he refers to his swag as Matilda, its like his only companion

as he wanders through the bush tracks he finds himself talking

to it as if its a real person. So the term Waltzing Matilda is nothing

to do with dancing at all, it means in fact carrying this thing on your

back through the long lonely stretches of the Australian bush.

Couple of other terms quickly, pay attention because I will be

asking questions afterwards about this, couple of other terms.

A billabong is a pool of deep water, a billy is a little tin can they

boil the tea in, a jumbuck is a sheep, err tucker bag is a bag for

carrying tucker, food bag tucker is food sort of like a knapsack.

What else the squatter is the big land owner, that's enough lets

get on with the song.)



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

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



Then down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag

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 shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me



Then down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred

Down came the troopers one two three

Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me



Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me



So up jumped the swagman and he sprang into that billabong

You'll never take me alive said he

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong

You'll come a-waltz ....



Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me



And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me