WALTING MATILDA

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?

Down come a jumpbuck to drink at the water hole
Up jumped a swagman and grabbed himin glee
And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".

Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbred
Up rode the Trooper - one, two, three
"Where's that jumpbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".

But the swagman he up and jumped in the water hole
Drowning himself by the coolabah tree,
And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

A.B.(Banjo) Paterson

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Explanation of Australian slang in the song

Billabong

• A water hole.

Billy

• A can or small kettle used to boil water for tea.

Coolabah tree

• A type of native tree in Australia.

Jumpbuck

• A sheep. There are 20 times as many sheep as there are people in Australia.

Squatter

• At one time, squatter claimed (seized) land for themselves in addition to land that they had been granted. Eventually through the continuous occupation of the land, their claims were legitimized in the eyes of the law.

Swagman

• Someone who loves on the open road. A hobo. The term came from the canvas bag that they would carry their bedroll and/or belongings in.

Trooper

• In Australia's early days, there was no police force. The colony was protected by and policed by soldier.

Tucker bag

• A bag for storing food in the bush.

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