Waltzing Matilda is usually sung in informal settings, but it was played with a 90 piece orchestra and the 100 voice Melbourne Chorale at the 2005 Classical Spectacular

"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known folk song, and one that has been popularly suggested as a potential national anthem. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 387 KB) Waltzing Matilda, at the Classical Specatular 2005 in the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Photo taken at ISO 1600 with no tripod File links The following pages link to this file: Waltzing Matilda ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 387 KB) Waltzing Matilda, at the Classical Specatular 2005 in the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Photo taken at ISO 1600 with no tripod File links The following pages link to this file: Waltzing Matilda ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogising the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognised either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ...

The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker making a crude cup of tea at a bush camp and stealing a sheep to eat. When the sheep's owner arrives with three police officers to arrest the worker, he drowns himself in a small lake and goes on to haunt the site.

The original lyrics were written in 1895 by the poet and nationalist Banjo Paterson, and it was first published as sheet music in 1903. Extensive folklore surrounds the song and the process of its creation, to the extent that the song has its own museum, the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland. Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Andrew Barton Banjo Paterson (February 17, 1864 – February 5, 1941) was a famous Australian bush poet, journalist and author. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Location of Winton in Queensland (red) Winton is a town and Local Government Area in central west Queensland, Australia, located 177 kilometres northwest of Longreach. ...

Official status

There have been persistent calls for the establishment of "Waltzing Matilda" as the national anthem instead of the current national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair". The song is recognisable and easily sung, but its lyrics, narrating the story of a swagman, the Australian equivalent of a vagabond, render it unlikely to ever gain acceptance in official circles. Many Australians, however, continue to regard it with great affection. Some have suggested using the same tune, but with different lyrics, but supporters argue the lyrics contribute substantially to the song's character. The National Anthem booth at the 2005 Floriade, Canberra - on the J. Verbeeck fairground organ. ... Photograph of a swagman circa 1901 A swagman is an old Australian term describing an underclass of transient temporary workers, who traveled by foot from farm to farm carrying the traditional swag. ... Look up vagabond in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The song has never been the officially recognised national anthem in Australia.[1] It was used at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976, and, as a response to the New Zealand All Blacks haka, it has gained popularity as a sporting anthem for the Australia national rugby union team. It is also performed, along with "Advance Australia Fair", at the annual AFL Grand Final. As of 2007 it has no official status as a national song of Australia, but it continues to be used unofficially (and sometimes in error) in many contexts. The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were held in 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... The All Blacks, the international rugby union team of New Zealand, perform a haka (Māori traditional dance) immediately prior to international matches,[1] Over the years they have most commonly performed the haka Ka Mate. In the early decades of international rugby, they sometimes performed other haka,[2] some... First international Australia 13 - 3 British Isles (24 June 1899) Largest win Australia  142 - 0  Namibia (25 October 2003) Worst defeat South Africa  61 - 22  Australia (23 August 1997) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1991, 1999 The Australian national rugby union team is the representative... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ...

It is used as the quick march of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. It is the official march of the U.S. 1st Marine Division, commemorating the time the unit spent in Australia during the Second World War. Soldiers from 1 RAR arive in the Solomon Islands in December 2004 Members of 1RAR undergoing a training exercise. ... The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

It is also partly used in the British Royal Tank Regiments quick march of "My Boy Willie", because early British Tanks were called "Matilda's".

Popularity

Reasons for the strong empathy Australians feel for this song include its appeal to a rural ideal, its featuring of an underdog or anti-hero, its allusions to Australia's origins as a British penal colony, and its status as unofficial. The song also has links to a historic shearers' strike which was crucial to the labour movement in Australia, and uses of many obsolete words and phrases that give native Australian English speakers an insider's knowledge about the song's meaning. ^{[citation needed]} In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also have enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. ... A penis colony is a colony used to detain prisoners and generally use them for penal labor in an economically underdeveloped part of the states (usually colonial) territories, and on a far larger scale than a prison farm. ... The 1891 Shearers Strike is one of Australias oldest and most important industrial disputes. ... Australian English (AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia. ...

Lyrics

(Note that there are no "official" lyrics to Waltzing Matilda, and slight variations can be found in different sources).[2] [3]

This version incorporates the famous "You'll never catch me alive said he" variation introduced by the Billy Tea company. Paterson's original lyrics referred directly to 'drowning' which the tea company felt was too negative.

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
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed 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 stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
down came 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".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up jumped the swagman, sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as your passing by that billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you passing by that billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?" This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Eucalyptus coolabah Blakey/Jacobs Eucalyptus coolabah is a eucalypt found in the vast arid areas of Australia. ... A billycan, more commonly known simply as a billy or occasionally as a billy can, is the traditional Australian utensil for boiling water, making tea and cooking anything liquid on a campfire. ... Jumbuck is an Australian term for sheep, featured in the notable poem written by Banjo Patterson entitled Waltzing Matilda. It is also the name of a car and a Melbourne-based mobile chatroom company. ... Food is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates, fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal for nutrition and/or pleasure. ... In Australian history, squatter referred to those who occupied large tracts of Crown Land in order to graze livestock. ... For the processor with the same codename , see Athlon. ... For the band, see The Police. ...

Plot and Details

The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker making a crude cup of tea at a bush camp and stealing a sheep to eat. When the sheep's owner arrives with three police officers to arrest the worker, he drowns himself in a small lake and goes on to haunt the site. The lyrics contain many distinctively Australian words, some now rarely used in Australian English outside this song. These include: For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). ... Species See text. ... Australian English (AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia. ...

swagman 

a man who travelled the country looking for work. The swagman's "swag" was a bed roll that bundled his belongings.

waltzing 

derived from the German term auf der Walz, which means to travel while working as a craftsman and learn new techniques from other masters before returning home after three years and one day, a custom which is still in use today among carpenters.

Matilda 

a romantic term for a swagman's bundle. See below, "Waltzing Matilda."

Waltzing Matilda 

from the above terms, "to waltz Matilda" is to travel with a swag, that is, with all one's belongings on one's back wrapped in a blanket or cloth. The exact origins of the term "Matilda" are disputed; one fanciful derivation states that when swagmen met each other at their gatherings, there were rarely women to dance with. Nonetheless, they enjoyed a dance, and so they danced with their swags, which was given a woman's name. However, this appears to be influenced by the word "waltz", hence the introduction of dancing. It seems more likely that, as a swagman's only companion, the swag came to be personified as a woman.

Another explanation is that the term also derives from German immigrants. German soldiers commonly referred to their greatcoats as "Matilda," supposedly because the coat kept them as warm as a woman would. Early German immigrants who "went on the waltz" would wrap their belongings in their coat, and took to calling it by the same name their soldiers had used.

billabong 

an oxbow lake (a cut-off river bend) found alongside an undulating river.

coolibah tree 

a kind of eucalyptus tree which grows near billabongs.

jumbuck 

a large difficult to shear sheep, not a tame sheep. Implies that the sheep was not 'owned' by the squatter or regularly shorn, thus not able to be stolen by the swagman.

billy 

a can for boiling water in, usually 2-3 pints.

tucker bag 

a bag for carrying food ("tucker").

troopers 

policemen.

squatter 

Australian squatters started as early farmers who raised livestock on land which they did not legally have the right to use; in many cases they later gained legal use of the land even though they did not have full possession, and became wealthy thanks to these large land holdings.

In popular culture, the term swag usually refers to promotional items or gifts that are given away by companies or organizations. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman,[1] is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat typically made of leather designed for warmth and protection against the elements. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Songhua River, northeast China. ... Binomial name Eucalyptus coolabah Blakey/Jacobs Eucalyptus coolabah is a eucalypt found in the vast arid areas of Australia. ... This article is about the plant genus. ... Jumbuck is an Australian term for sheep, featured in the notable poem written by Banjo Patterson entitled Waltzing Matilda. It is also the name of a car and a Melbourne-based mobile chatroom company. ... A billycan, more commonly known simply as a billy or occasionally as a billy can, is the traditional Australian utensil for boiling water, making tea and cooking anything liquid on a campfire. ... The pint is an English unit of volume or capacity in the imperial system and United States customary units, equivalent in each system to one half of a quart, and one eighth of a gallon. ... For the band, see The Police. ... In Australian history, squatter referred to those who occupied large tracts of Crown Land in order to graze livestock. ...

Variations

The lyrics of Waltzing Matilda have changed significantly since it was written.

A facsimile of the original manuscript, included in "Singer of the bush", a collection of Paterson's works published by Lansdowne Press in 1983, shows the first two verses below. The punctuation is as shown in that manuscript.

Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabong,

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?

Chorus:

Who'll come a waltzin' Matilda my darling,

Who'll come a waltzin' Matilda with me?

Waltzing Matilda and leading a water bag,

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water hole,

Up jumped the swagman + grabbed him in glee,

And he sang as he put him away in the tucker bag,

You'll come a waltzin' Matilda with me."

Chorus:

You'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling,

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda and leading a water bag,

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.

This facsimile only shows the first two verses, but includes some corrections: it originally read (differences in italics):

Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabong,

Under the shade of a Coolibah tree,

And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling,

Who'll come a roving Australia with me?

Chorus:

Who'll come a rovin (rest missing)

Who'll come a waltzin' Matilda with me?

Waltzing Matilda and leading a tucker bag.

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?

It has been suggested that these changes were from an even earlier version, and that Paterson was talked out of using this text, but the manuscript does not bear this out. In particular, the first line of the chorus was corrected before it had been finished, so the original version is incomplete.

The first published version, in 1903, differs slightly from this text:

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?"

Chorus:

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda, my darling,

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?

Waltzing Matilda and leading a water-bag,

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the waterhole,

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee,

And he sang as he put him away in the tucker-bag,

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me."

(Chorus)

Up came the squatter a-riding his thoroughbred,

Up came policemen—one, two, a and three.

"Whose is the jumbuck you've got in the tucker-bag?

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with we."

(Chorus)

Up sprang the swagman and jumped in the waterhole,

Drowning himself by the Coolibah tree.

And his voice can be heard as it sings in the billabongs,

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me."

(Chorus:)

By contrast with the original, and also with subsequent versions, the chorus of all the verses was the same in this version. This is also apparently the only version that writes "billabongs" instead of "billabong".

Current variations include the third line of the verse saying "And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong" or "And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled"; and the third line of the chorus remaining unchanged from the first verse, instead of changing to the third line of each preceding verse.

There is also the very popular John Williamson version that has a changed chorus and the new chorus is very similar to that used by Patterson and continues as follows: John Williamson can refer to different persons: John Williamson (economist), senior at Institute for International Economics; John Williamson (singer), an Australian singer John Williamson (singer & songwriter), from Georgia, U.S.A. John Williamson (basketball), a former professional basketball player with the New York Nets. ... Patterson is the name of several places in the United States of America: Patterson, Arkansas Patterson, California Patterson, Georgia Patterson, Iowa Patterson, Missouri Patterson, Louisiana Patterson, New York Patterson, Ohio There are also Patterson Springs, North Carolina and Patterson Heights, Pennsylvania. ...

Oh there once was a swagman camped in a billabong

Under the shade of a coolibah tree

And he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

(Chorus:)

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda my darling

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda and leading a water bag

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water hole

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee

And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Down came the squatter a riding on his thoroughbred

Down came the troopers one two three

Whose is that jumbuck you've got in the tucker bag

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

But the swagman he up and he jumped into the water hole

Drowning himself by the coolibah tree

And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the billabong

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

There is also a version released by the American singing group The New Christy Minstrels which offered yet another last verse: The New Christy Minstrels is an American folk music group that came to prominence in the 1960s. ...

I'm just a simple swagman who'd be obliged to fare thee well

I'm just a journeying down to the sea

For it's God bless the Queen who gave to you this billabong

And it was God who gave that jumbuck to me

History

Writing of the song

The words to the song were written in 1895 by Banjo Paterson, a famous Australian poet, and the music was written (based on a folk tune) by Christina Macpherson, who wrote herself that she "was no musician, but she would do her best." Paterson wrote the piece while staying at the Dagworth Homestead, a bush station in Queensland. While he was there his hosts played him a traditional Celtic folk tune called "The Craigeelee," and Paterson decided that it would be a good piece to set lyrics to, producing them during the rest of his stay. Andrew Barton Banjo Paterson (February 17, 1864 – February 5, 1941) was a famous Australian bush poet, journalist and author. ... Christina Rutherford Macpherson (1864-1936) is credited with having re-played a tune shed heard in c1895 which the Australian poet A.B. Patterson (Banjo Paterson) then wrote set words to Waltzing Matilda. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... Celtic music is a term utilized by record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe. ...

The tune is most probably based on the Scottish song "Thou Bonnie Wood Of Craigielea," which Macpherson heard played by a band at the Warrnambool steeplechase. Robert Tannahill wrote the words in 1805 and James Barr composed the music in 1818. In 1893 it was arranged for brass band by Thomas Bulch. The tune again was possibly based on the old melody of "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself," composed by John Field (1782-1837) sometime before 1812. It is sometimes also called: "When Sick Is It Tea You Want?" (London 1798) or "The Penniless Traveller" (O'Neill's 1850 collection). Warrnambool is a regional city of around 32,000 people on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia, located in the municipality City of Warrnambool. ... A steeplechase race The steeplechase is a form of horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, and Ireland) and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many... Robert Tannahill (June 3, 1774 - May 17, 1810) was a Scottish poet known as the Paisley Poet. He was born in Paisley to a weaving family and was apprenticed in the same trade from the age of 12. ... James Barr (1779 - 1860) was a Scottish composer who composed the tune which inspired the tune now used for the unofficial Australian anthem Waltzing Matilda. ... A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... John Field John Field (July 26, 1782 – January 23, 1837) was an Irish composer and pianist. ...

There is also speculation about the relationship it bears to "The Bold Fusilier", a song dated by some back to the eighteenth century.

"Waltzing Matilda" is probably based on the following story:

In Queensland in 1891 the Great Shearers' Strike brought the colony close to civil war and was broken only after the Premier Samuel Griffith called in the military.

In September 1894, on a station called Dagworth (north of Winton), some shearers were again on strike. It turned violent with the strikers firing their rifles and pistols in the air and setting fire to the woolshed at the Dagworth Homestead, killing dozens of sheep.

The owner of Dagworth Homestead and three policemen gave chase to a man named Samuel Hoffmeister - also called Samuel "French(y)" Hoffmeister. Rather than be captured, Hoffmeister shot and killed himself at the Combo Waterhole.

Bob Macpherson (the brother of Christina) and Paterson are said to have taken rides together at Dagworth. Here they may have passed the Combo Waterhole, where Bob may have told this story to Paterson. Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... The 1891 Shearers Strike is one of Australias oldest and most important industrial disputes. ... List of Premiers of Queensland Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Queensland. ... Sir Samuel Griffith Sir Samuel Walker Griffith (June 21, 1845 - August 9, 1920), Australian politician and judge, was the principal author of the Constitution of Australia. ... Combo Waterhole, a waterhole on the Diamantina River in Australia. ... Combo Waterhole, a waterhole on the Diamantina River in Australia. ...

The song itself was first performed on 6 April 1895 at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Queensland. The occasion was a banquet for the Premier of Queensland. It became an instant success. is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Location of Winton in Queensland (red) Winton is a town and Local Government Area in central west Queensland, Australia, located 177 kilometres northwest of Longreach. ... List of Premiers of Queensland Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Queensland. ...

Ownership

In 1903 it was picked up by the Billy Tea company for use as an advertising jingle, making it nationally famous. A third variation on the song, with a slightly different chorus, was published in 1907. Paterson sold the rights to "Waltzing Matilda" and "some other pieces" to Angus and Robertson Publishers for five pounds (the then-currency). A jingle is a memorable slogan, set to an engaging melody, mainly broadcast on radio and sometimes on television commercials. ... Angus & Robertson is a bookstore chain in Australia. ...

The song was falsely copyrighted by an American publisher in 1941 as an original composition. However, no copyright applies in Australia. Not to be confused with copywriting. ...

Covers and derivative works

The song is a fixture at many Australian sporting events. It was performed at the Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney by singer Slim Dusty, as well as at the Opening Ceremony of the subsequent Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games by Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. It was previously sung at the Opening Ceremony of the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane by Rolf Harris. It is sung during the pre-game entertainment of the Australian Football League Grand Final each year. The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... See also: 2000 Summer Olympics External links Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games - archived websites in PANDORA Categories: Summer Paralympic Games | Australian sport | 2000 in sports ... Kylie Ann Minogue (IPA: [1]) (born May 28, 1968) is a Grammy Award-winning Australian pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. ... Matilda the Kangaroo mascot for the 1982 Commonwealth Games (shown here during her circuit of the track at the stadium during the Games Opening Ceremony, and with a silhouette of Matilda and several joey kangaroos on a large screen, during Rolf Harris segment) Matilda turns her head and winks at... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... Rolf Harris, CBE, AM (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian musician, composer, painter, and television host. ... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ...

The song has been recorded by many Australian musicians and singers, including Peter Dawson, The Seekers, Tenor Australis, Thomas Edmonds, Rolf Harris and Lazy Harry. Bands and artists from other nations, including The Irish Rovers, The Swingle Singers and the Red Army Choir, have also recorded the song. Peter Dawson (31 January 1882-27 September 1961) was an Australian bass/baritone in the 1920s and 1930s when he was possibly the most popular singer of that era. ... This article is about the Australian music group. ... Thomas Edmonds (Audio tape cover) Thomas Edmonds, (AM, BA, DipEd, DipT, MACE), is an Australian singer who was born in South Australia, Australia. ... Rolf Harris, CBE, AM (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian musician, composer, painter, and television host. ... Lazy Harry (real name Mark Stephens) is an Australian folk singer. ... The Irish Rovers are a popular and long-running Canadian-Irish folk group created in 1963. ... The Swingle Singers is a vocal group formed in 1962 Paris, France with Ward Swingle, Anne Germain, Jeanette Baucomont, and Jean Cussac. ... The Red Army Choir (Choir Aleksandrov) is a performing ensemble that served as the official army choir of the former Soviet Unions Red Army. ...

Bert Lloyd recorded the 1903 version of the song on 'The Great Australian Legend', Topic Records, LP 12T 203, 1971. A. L. Bert Lloyd (1908-1982) was a British folksinger and collector of folk songs, and as such was a key figure in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Topic Records began as an offshoot of the UK Communist Party in 1939. ...

The score of the 1959 film On the Beach, written by Ernest Gold, is based heavily on motifs from "Waltzing Matilda." The film, about the end of the world via a nuclear holocaust, is set in Australia, and director Stanley Kramer was insistent on the "Waltzing Matilda" motif. The song itself is heard in the last minutes of the movie. On the Beach is a post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world novel written by British author Nevil Shute after he had emigrated to Australia. ... Ernest Gold (born July 13, 1921, Vienna, Austria; died March 17 Santa Monica, California, 1999) was an Austrian-born Jewish-American Academy Award winning composer of the theme from the movie Exodus. ... Nuclear Holocaust is the concept of the eradication of the human race through the means of Nuclear warfare. ... Stanley Kramer (September 29, 1913 – February 19, 2001) was a Jewish-American film director and producer. ...

Derivative musical works

In 1958, Bill Haley and His Comets recorded a version with new lyrics entitled "Rockin' Matilda", about a beautiful Australian girl named Matilda. The original members of Bill Haley and His Comets, c. ...

"And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda", was created by Eric Bogle in 1972, and performed most popularly by The Pogues on their album Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash. The song graphically documents the Australian experience at the Battle of Gallipoli and ANZAC Day. It incorporates the melody and a few lines of "Waltzing Matilda" 's lyrics at its conclusion. George Lamberts Anzac, the landing 1915, depicting the landing at Anzac Cove. ... Eric Bogle (born September 23, 1944) is a Scottish-born Australian singer and songwriter. ... The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background, playing traditional Irish folk with influences from the English punk rock movement. ... Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash is the second album by The Pogues, released in 1985. ... Combatants British Empire Australia British India Newfoundland New Zealand United Kingdom France Senegal  Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Ian Hamilton Lord Kitchener John de Robeck Otto von Sanders, Mustafa Kemal Strength 5 divisions (initial) 16 divisions (final) 6 divisions (initial) 15 divisions (final) Casualties 182,000 251,309 The Battle of... ANZAC Day is commemorated by Australia and New Zealand on 25 April every year to remember members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who in the Battle of Gallipoli landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. ANZAC Day is also a public holiday in the...

American singer Tom Waits combined "Waltzing Matilda" with some of his own material in "Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind In Copenhagen)" on his 1976 album Small Change. Rod Stewart covered Waits' song on the albums Lead Vocalist and Unplugged...and Seated under the title "Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)". Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Roderick David Stewart, CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London. ... Lead Vocalist is a compilation album released by Rod Stewart on February 22, 1993 (see 1993 in music). ... Unplugged. ...

In 2003, the Scared Weird Little Guys released "Cleanin' Out My Tuckerbag", a comedic spoof of the song, done in the style of Eminem's songs "Cleanin' Out My Closet" and "Lose Yourself". Scared Weird Little Guys (commonly referred to as SWLG or The Scaredies) are an Australian comedy music duo formed in July 1990. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known as Eminem or Slim Shady, is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and actor from the Detroit, Michigan area. ... Cleanin Out My Closet is a song by the rapper Eminem, released in 2002. ... For the sense of losing oneself, see Flow (psychology). ...

Jamaican reggae group The Silvertones recorded an upbeat ska version entitled "Skanking Matilda" Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. ...

A Pitjantjatjara language version of the song, performed by Trevor Adamson, an Australian country/gospel singer, can be found on the 1999 album Putumayo Presents: World Playground. Pitjantjatjara is a dialect of the Western Desert language traditionally spoken by the Pitjantjatjara people of Central Australia. ...

Literature

In the story "The Mountain Movers" by Australian science fiction writer A. Bertram Chandler, the song gets new words in the mouth of future Australian space adventurers, with the first stanza running: Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Arthur Bertram Chandler (March 28, 1912 _ June 6, 1984) was an Australian science fiction author most well-known for his John Grimes novels and the Rim World series. ...

"When the jolly Jumbuk lifted from Port Woomera

Out and away for Altair Three

Glad were we all to kiss the tired old Earth goodbye

Who'll come a-sailing in Jumbuk with me?"

The plot of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel The Last Continent is set in an Australia-like locale and includes a parody on the events of "Waltzing Matilda". Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Cover of an early edition of The Colour of Magic; art by Josh Kirby Discworld is a comedic fantasy book series by the British author Terry Pratchett set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which are in turn standing on the back of... The Last Continent is the twenty-second Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1998, that parodies Australian people and culture, as well as the famous Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max movies and the popular Australian song Waltzing Matilda. ...

Famous Matildas

Matilda, the Commonwealth Games mascot

The Australia women's national soccer team, are nicknamed the Matildas, after this song. Image File history File links 1982-Commonwealth-Games-Mascot. ... Image File history File links 1982-Commonwealth-Games-Mascot. ... First International Australia 2 – 2 New Zealand Sutherland, Sydney, Australia; 6 October 1979 Largest win Australia 21 – 0 American Samoa Auckland, New Zealand; 9 October 1998 Worst defeat United States 9 - 1 Australia Ambler, PA, United States; 5 June 1997 World Cup Appearances 4 (First in 1995) Best result Round... First International Australia 2 – 2 New Zealand Sutherland, Sydney, Australia; 6 October 1979 Largest win Australia 21 – 0 American Samoa Auckland, New Zealand; 9 October 1998 Worst defeat United States 9 - 1 Australia Ambler, PA, United States; 5 June 1997 World Cup Appearances 3 (First in 1995) Best result Round...

Matilda the Kangaroo was the mascot at the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane, Queensland. Matilda was a cartoon kangaroo, who appeared as a 13-metre high (42 feet 8 inches) mechanical kangaroo at the opening ceremony, accompanied by Rolf Harris singing "Waltzing Matilda". This article is about the animal. ... Matilda the Kangaroo mascot for the 1982 Commonwealth Games (shown here during her circuit of the track at the stadium during the Games Opening Ceremony, and with a silhouette of Matilda and several joey kangaroos on a large screen, during Rolf Harris segment) Matilda turns her head and winks at... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... Rolf Harris, CBE, AM (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian musician, composer, painter, and television host. ...

See also

• "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"
• 1st Marine Division

George Lamberts Anzac, the landing 1915, depicting the landing at Anzac Cove. ... The 1st Marine Division is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division-sized unit in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. ...

External links

• Waltzing Matilda - Australian National University (excellent history page, lots of Paterson and Australian bits).
• Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me? online exhibition from the National Library of Australia
• Papers of Christina McPherson relating to the song "Waltzing Matilda" digitised and held by the National Library of Australia
• Waltzing Matilda - Standing Stones website
• On the Beach and "Waltzing Matilda"
• Waltzing Matilda within MusicAustralia - includes material in a wide variety of formats from Australian libraries via the Australian National Bibliographic Database