Waltzing Matilda (1)

Banjo Patterson

Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabongs
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 and leading a waterbag
Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up came the jumbuck to drink at the waterhole
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee
And he sang as he put hime away in the tuckerbag
You’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 and leading a waterbag
Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up came the squatter a-riding his thoroughbred
Up came policemen one two three
Whose is the jumbuck you’ve got in the tuckerbag?
You’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 and leading a waterbag
Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up sprang the swagman and jumped in the waterhole
Drowning himself by the Coolibah
And his voice can be heard as it sings in the billabongs
Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

This song nearly became Australia’s national anthem in 1974, but Advance Australia Fair ended up as the choice. There are three versions of Waltzing Matilda. This version is the original which was written by Banjo Patterson in 1895. Harry Nathan wrote another version around the turn of the last century, and Marie Cowan wrote a further version in 1903. Her version is the one most popular.