333. Waltzing Matilda (Banjo Paterson)

The best known Australian song of all time. It is generally attributed to Banjo Paterson. The story goes that Banjo was told about the shooting suicide of a Samuel Hoffmeister beside the Diamantina River on 2nd September 1894. He was supposed to have been one of the striking shearers involved in the burning down of the Dagworth Station shearing shed. This was at least one of the stories that inspired him to write Waltzing Matilda at Dagworth in 1895, though some say he merely adapted the song rather than writing the original. In any case his words are quite different from the words normally sung today, except in the lesser known "Queensland version", the tune for which is believed to have been written in the 1950s.

This version was arranged by Marie Cowan in 1903 for Jimmy Inglis, who had heard the song being sung by Boer war veterans in Sydney pubs, and wanted to use it in a Billy Tea promotion.

A matilda means a swag, or a bedroll, and to waltz matilda is to hit the road carrying a swag.

The tune was adapted by Christina McPherson from "Bonnie Wood O' Craigielea" probably from hearing it played by a marching band some months earlier.

Among the interesting discussions on the Mudcat site is a suggestion that the song is an allegory on the 1891 sheep shearers strike, which is dealt with more directly in the song "Ballad of 1891".: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh9lWHU6Cvs

You can see a playlist of my Australian songs here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0DE11C284435E7A2

For lyrics and chords, see my website: http://www.raymondcrooke.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• song
• australia
• fusilier
• bonnie
• wood
• craigielea
• bum
• swagman
• hobo
• ghost
• billabong

[SCOPOtuaMADRE]

I unfortunately didn't know this song. Thanx so much dude

[raymondcrooke]

@SCOPOtuaMADRE You're welcome. Where I come from, everybody knows this song!

[rochy3]

This song is about my Australian heritage. Hearing it brings about strong emotions.God save Australia and God save the Scottish and English settlers of Australia.

[raymondcrooke]

@rochy3 A lot of us Aussies feel the same way.

[VioletStorm2010]

i recently visited Australia and heard this song and thought it was really brilliant xD apparently the mans name is hidden in the song ( Andy? ) lol Waltzing Matilda is marvelous!! :)

[raymondcrooke]

@VioletStorm2010 It's the best known of all Australian songs. I haven't heard that story about the name before.

[xhergioasturias]

Have you said thank you to Axis of Awesome yet about your 35.000 visits here?

[raymondcrooke]

@VerickII It worked this time!

[catherine4763]

i also like john harley westons version from his album welcome back to reality

[raymondcrooke]

@VerickII Thanks for your very detailed comments. The information you've found is accurate, but, of course, it is not really a traditional song as the author is known. Many Australians wanted this to be our National Anthem when we stopped singing the British one, but a song about a sheep-stealer was considered inappropriate for a National song.

[VerickII]

And the website I was looking this up on went on to say that this particular song has brought almost every emotion from native Australians because it is the most widely spread story that embodied the classic definition of a true bushman who lived off the lamb.. literally it seems.. And the Aussie spirit of rebellion against oppression.. upon reading all of these facts the next time I heard the song It almost brought me to tears as well because I then understood it's true meaning and power.thanku