Waltzing Matilda (3)

Marie Cowan

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

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 drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
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 til his billy boiled
You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came troopers one two three
Whose that jumbuck you’ve got in the tuckerbag?
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 til his billy boiled
You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong
You’ll never catch me alive said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You’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. The original which was written by Banjo Patterson in 1895. Harry Nathan wrote another version around the turn of the century, and Marie Cowan wrote this version in 1903. Her version is the one most popular.