Waltzing Matilda facts for kids
"Waltzing Matilda" is one of Australia's most famous songs. It's a type of folk song called a bush ballad, and many people call it the "unofficial national anthem of Australia."
The name "Waltzing Matilda" is Australian slang. It means walking through the country looking for work, carrying all your belongings in a bag called a "Matilda" on your back.
The song tells the story of a traveling farm worker, known as a "swagman." He sets up camp by a small waterhole, called a "billabong," and catches a sheep, or "jumbuck," to eat. But then, the sheep's owner, called a "squatter," arrives with three policemen. They want to arrest the swagman for taking the sheep, which was a serious crime. To avoid being caught, the swagman jumps into the billabong and drowns. The song says his ghost still haunts the spot.
The words for "Waltzing Matilda" were written in 1895 by a poet named Banjo Paterson. The song was first printed as sheet music in 1903. There are many interesting stories about how this famous song came to be. You can even visit a museum dedicated to the song, called the Waltzing Matilda Centre, in Winton, Queensland.
How the Song Was Made
The music for "Waltzing Matilda" was created by Christina Macpherson. It was based on an old folk song. Banjo Paterson wrote the words while he was staying at a farm called Dagworth Homestead in Queensland.
While he was there, the farm owners played him an old Celtic folk tune called "The Craigielee." Paterson thought it would be a great tune to write new words for. He finished the song during his visit to the farm.
The tune "The Craigielee" is probably from a Scottish song called "Thou Bonnie Wood Of Craigielea." Christina Macpherson heard a band playing it at a horse race, called a steeplechase, in Warrnambool, Victoria. The words for "Thou Bonnie Wood Of Craigielea" were written by Robert Tannahill in 1805, and the music by James Barr in 1818.
In 1893, the tune was arranged for a brass band by Thomas Bulch. Some people think the tune might also be similar to an older song called "The Bold Fusilier."
Song Lyrics
There isn't one "official" version of the words to "Waltzing Matilda." You might find small differences in various sources. The version below uses a well-known line, "You'll never catch me alive said he." This line was made popular by the Billy Tea company. Banjo Paterson's original words used "drowning," but the tea company felt that was too sad.
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 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 shoved 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 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".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
"Oh, You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
Images for kids
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Combo Waterhole, thought to be the location of the story that inspired "Waltzing Matilda"
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Fortified temporary shearing shed at Dagworth Station following the 1894 arson of the main shed. The three troopers at left are thought to be those referred to in "Waltzing Matilda", while the squatter was Bob Macpherson, fourth from right.
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Photograph of a swagman, c. 1901, holding a billy and carrying a swag on his back
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Waltzing Matilda mural on the side of an Ansett Boeing 737-300 in the mid-1990s
See also
In Spanish: Waltzing Matilda para niños
