Waltzing Matilda

This is Andrew "The Banjo" Barton Paterson, the author of Waltzing Matilda. He was born on February 17, 1864, at Narambla, New South Wales, not far from Orange, the son of a Scottish immigrant from Lanarkshire, who had arrived in Australia in the early 1850s.

Roger Clarke has constructed a Waltzing Matilda page about Australia's most famous song, with explanations of the wonderful Australian words the song contains and the various different versions. "Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?" is revealed as a perfectly sensible question. I suggest you commit this to memory so that next time you are stuck for a sensible question, you can bring this one out.

This is the first song I ever memorised and sang. In my childish way, I actually sang "Walsingatilda, Walsingatilda, Youcoma Walsingatildaramee". My mother remains inordinately proud of the fact I could sing in tune at the age of 2.

I sang it to my sister on her very first birthday. Today is her 41st. Happy Birthday Sis. It's a nicer birthday song than the usual, with thievery, suicide and haunting.

Big breath now, and blow all those candles out!

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me (CHORUS) Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda You'll come a waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me Down came a jumbuck to dri-ink at that billabong Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker-bag You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me (CHORUS) Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred Up rode the troopers, one, two, three "Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?" You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me (CHORUS) Up jumped the swagman and sprang into that billabong "You'll never take me alive!", said he And his ghost may be heard as you pa-ass by that billabong You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me (CHORUS)