The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Ton : DCapo 2English
G
Couplet
When I was a Cyoung man I Gcarried my pack
And I Glived the free Dlife of a Grover
From the GMurrays green Dbasin to the Cdusty Goutback
I Gwaltzed my DMatilda all Gover
Then in Dnineteen fifteen my Ccountry said: G"Son,
It's Dtime to stop rambling cos there's Cwork to be Gdone"
So they Ggave me a Ctin hat and they Ggave me a gun
And they Gsent me Daway to the Gwar
Refrain
And the Gband played CWaltzing GMatilda
As Gwe sailed Caway from the Dquay
And Camidst all the tears and the Gshouts and the cheers
We Gsailed off to DGalliGpoli
Couplet
GHow well I Cremember that Gterrible day
When the Gblood stained the Dsand and the Gwater
And Gwhen in that Dtown that they Ccalled Suvla GBay
We were Gbutchered like Dlambs at the Gslaughter
Johnny DTurk he was ready, he Cprimed himself Gwell
He Dchased us with bullets, he Crained us with Gshells
And in Gfive minutes Cflat he'd Gblown us all to hell
GNearly blew us right Dback to GAustralia
Refrain
And the Gband played CWaltzing GMatilda
As we Gstopped to Cbury our Dslain
And we Cburied ours and the GTurks buried theirs
Then we Gstarted all Dover Gagain
Couplet
Now Gthose that were Cliving did their Gbest to survive
In a Gmad world of Dblood, death and Gfire,
And, for Gseven long Dweeks, I Ckept myself Galive
But the Gcorpses Daround me piled Ghigher
Then a Dbig Turkish shell knocked me Carse over Gtit
And Dwhen I awoke in my Chospital Gbed
I saw Gwhat it had Cdone. Christ! I Gwished I was dead
Never Gknew there were Dworse things than Gdying
Refrain
For GI'll go no more Cwaltzing GMatilda
All around the Ggreen bush Cfar and Dnear
For to Chump tent and pegs, a Gman needs both legs
No more GWaltzing DMatilda for Gme
Couplet
So they Gcollected the Ccripples, the Gwounded, the maimed,
And they Gshipped us back Dhome to GAustralia
The Glegless, the Darmless, the Cblind, the Ginsane,
Those Gproud wounded Dheroes of GSuvla
And Das our ship pulled into CCircular GBay
I Dlooked at the place my Clegs used to Gbe
And thank GChrist there was Cno one Gwaiting for me
To Ggrieve and to Dmourn and to Gpity
Refrain
And the Gband played CWaltzing GMatilda
As they Gcarried us Cdown the Dgangway
But Cnobody cheered, they just Gstood and stared
Then they Gturned all their Dfaces Gaway
Couplet
And Gnow every CApril I Gsit on my porch
And I Gwatch the Dparade pass Gbefore me
I Gsee my old Dcomrades, how Cproudly they Gmarch,
GRenewing old Ddreams of past Gglory
I Dsee the old men march slowly, all bent, Cstiff and Gsore
The Dforgotten heroes from a Cforgotten Gwar
And the Gyoung people Cask: "What are Gthey marching for?"
And I Gask Dmyself the same Gquestion
Refrain
And the Gband played CWaltzing GMatilda
And the Gold men still Canswer to the Dcall
But Cyear after year their Gnumber gets fewer
Some day no Gone will Dmarch there at Gall
GWaltzing Matilda, CWaltzing Matilda
GWho'll come a-waltzing Matilda with Dme