And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Eric Bogle
When GI was a Cyoung man I Gcarried me Empack
And I Glived the free Dlife of a Grover
From the Murray's green Cbanks to the Gdusty OutEmback
I Gwaltzed my MatDilda all Gover
Then in D1915 me Ccountry said, GSon
It's Dtime you stopped rambling there's Cwork to be Gdone
So they gave me a Ctin hat, and they Ggave me a Emgun
And they Gmarched me Daway to the Gwar
GAnd the band played CWaltzing MatGilda
When the ship pulled Caway from the Dquay
And Camidst all the tears, flaGg-waving Emand cheers
We Gsailed off for DGallipoGli
And how Gwell I Cremember that Gterrible Emday
When our Gblood stained the Dsand and the Gwater
And how in that Chell that they Gcall Suvla EmBay
We were Gbutchered like Dlambs at the Gslaughter
Johnny DTurk he was ready, he'd Cprimed himself Gwell
He Drained us with bullets, and he Cshowered us with Gshells
And in five minutes Cflat he'd Gblown us all to Emhell
Nearly Gblew us back Dhome to AustrGalia
GAnd the band played CWaltzing MatGilda
When we stopped to Cbury our Dslain
CWe buried ours, and the GTurks buried Emtheirs
Then we Gstarted all Dover Gagain
And Gthose that were Cleft, well, we Gtried to surEmvive
In that Gmad world of Dblood, death and Gfire
And for ten weary Cweeks I kept Gmyself Emalive
While Garound me the Dcorpses piled Ghigher
Then a Dbig Turkish shell knocked me Carse over Ghead
And Dwhen I awoke in me Chospital Gbed
And saw what it had Cdone, well, I Gwished I was Emdead
Never Gknew there was Dworse things than Gdying
So no Gmore I'll go CWaltzing MatGilda
All around the green Cbush far and Dnear
To Chump tent and pegs a Gman needs his Emlegs
No more GWaltzing MatDilda for Gme
So they Ggathered the Cwounded, the Gcrippled, the Emmaimed
And they Gshipped us back Dhome to AustrGalia
The armless, the Clegless, the Gblind, the Eminsane
Those Gproud wounded Dheroes of GSuvla
And Dwhen the ship pulled into CCircular GQuay
I Dlooked at the place where me Clegs used to Gbe
I thanked GChrist there was Cnobody waiGting for meEm
To Ggrieve and to Dmourn and to Gpity
GAnd the band played CWaltzing MatGilda
As they carried us Cdown the gangwDay
But Cnobody cheered, they Gjust stood and Emstared
And Gthen turned their Dfaces Gaway
So Gnow every CApril I Gsit on me Emporch
And I Gwatch the parDade pass Gbefore me
I see my old Ccomrades how Gproudly they Emmarch
GRenewing old Ddreams of past Gglory
And the Dold men march slowly, all Cbones stiff and Gsore
They're Dtired old heroes from a Cforgotten Gwar
And the young people Cask, "What are Gthey marching Emfor?"
And GI ask Dmyself the same Gquestion
GAnd the band plays CWaltzing MatGilda
And the old men still Canswer the Dcall
But Cyear after year those Gold men disEmappear
Someday Gno one will Dmarch there at Gall
GWaltzing Matilda, CWaltzing Matilda
GWho'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with Dme?
And their Gghosts may be Dheard as Emthey march by the CBillabong
GWho'll come a-CWaltzing D7Matilda with Gme?