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Waltzing Matilda

after Banjo Paterson

Paterson himself said that he wrote the words of 'Waltzing Matilda' to fit a tune [*] [listen here] played to him by Miss Christina Macpherson at Dagworth homestead, near Winton, Queensland, in 1895. Mr Sydney May in his book, The Story of Waltzing Matilda, makes out a very good case for this tune having been 'Bonny Wood of Craigielea', perhaps imperfectly memorized.
[*](if you are visiting with msie you will hear this song in the background now)

The Marie Cowan version [listen here] ... preserves a strong resemblance to 'Craigielea', but does not adhere strictly to Paterson's text.
Manifold, J.S. The Penguin Australian Song Book
Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books, 1964, p.175


Arrangement by Philip Heggie (heggie@rmit.edu.au) [listen here] (Quicktime .mov file)
Another more up-tempo arrangement from www.wizard.net/~dsr [listen here] (MIDI file)


Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah-tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till 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 till 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 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 a squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred;
Down came the troopers, one, two, three:
"Who'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.
Who'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!"