And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Eric Bogle
When CI was a Fyoung man I Ccarried me Ampack
And I Clived the free Glife of a Crover
From the Murray's green Fbanks to the Cdusty OutAmback
I Cwaltzed my MatGilda all Cover
Then in G1915 me Fcountry said, CSon
It's Gtime you stopped rambling there's Fwork to be Cdone
So they gave me a Ftin hat, and they Cgave me a Amgun
And they Cmarched me Gaway to the Cwar
CAnd the band played FWaltzing MatCilda
When the ship pulled Faway from the Gquay
And Famidst all the tears, flaCg-waving Amand cheers
We Csailed off for GGallipoCli
And how Cwell I Fremember that Cterrible Amday
When our Cblood stained the Gsand and the Cwater
And how in that Fhell that they Ccall Suvla AmBay
We were Cbutchered like Glambs at the Cslaughter
Johnny GTurk he was ready, he'd Fprimed himself Cwell
He Grained us with bullets, and he Fshowered us with Cshells
And in five minutes Fflat he'd Cblown us all to Amhell
Nearly Cblew us back Ghome to AustrCalia
CAnd the band played FWaltzing MatCilda
When we stopped to Fbury our Gslain
FWe buried ours, and the CTurks buried Amtheirs
Then we Cstarted all Gover Cagain
And Cthose that were Fleft, well, we Ctried to surAmvive
In that Cmad world of Gblood, death and Cfire
And for ten weary Fweeks I kept Cmyself Amalive
While Caround me the Gcorpses piled Chigher
Then a Gbig Turkish shell knocked me Farse over Chead
And Gwhen I awoke in me Fhospital Cbed
And saw what it had Fdone, well, I Cwished I was Amdead
Never Cknew there was Gworse things than Cdying
So no Cmore I'll go FWaltzing MatCilda
All around the green Fbush far and Gnear
To Fhump tent and pegs a Cman needs his Amlegs
No more CWaltzing MatGilda for Cme
So they Cgathered the Fwounded, the Ccrippled, the Ammaimed
And they Cshipped us back Ghome to AustrCalia
The armless, the Flegless, the Cblind, the Aminsane
Those Cproud wounded Gheroes of CSuvla
And Gwhen the ship pulled into FCircular CQuay
I Glooked at the place where me Flegs used to Cbe
I thanked CChrist there was Fnobody waiCting for meAm
To Cgrieve and to Gmourn and to Cpity
CAnd the band played FWaltzing MatCilda
As they carried us Fdown the gangwGay
But Fnobody cheered, they Cjust stood and Amstared
And Cthen turned their Gfaces Caway
So Cnow every FApril I Csit on me Amporch
And I Cwatch the parGade pass Cbefore me
I see my old Fcomrades how Cproudly they Ammarch
CRenewing old Gdreams of past Cglory
And the Gold men march slowly, all Fbones stiff and Csore
They're Gtired old heroes from a Fforgotten Cwar
And the young people Fask, "What are Cthey marching Amfor?"
And CI ask Gmyself the same Cquestion
CAnd the band plays FWaltzing MatCilda
And the old men still Fanswer the Gcall
But Fyear after year those Cold men disAmappear
Someday Cno one will Gmarch there at Call
CWaltzing Matilda, FWaltzing Matilda
CWho'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with Gme?
And their Cghosts may be Gheard as Amthey march by the FBillabong
CWho'll come a-FWaltzing G7Matilda with Cme?