Matilda Matilda
Robert Mitchum Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Matilda, Matilda

Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela
Five hundred dollars was the cost
It was to buy a cart and horse
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela

Everybody, Matilda, Matilda
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela
Once again now, Matilda, Matilda
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela

Well, the money was just inside me bed
Stuck in the pillow beneath me head
Don't you know that
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela

Everybody, Matilda, Matilda
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela
From the corner, Matilda, Matilda
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela

Well, me friends I'm never gonna love again
All the money gone in vain
Matilda, she grabbed me money and run Venezuela
She's a grabber

Matilda, Matilda
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela

Once again now, Matilda, Matilda
Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela




For the last time
Matilda, Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela

Overall Meaning

"Matilda Matilda" is a witty and humorous calypso song that tells the story of a man who had his money stolen by a woman named Matilda who is speculated to have fled to Venezuela. The song paints Matilda as a cunning and deceitful woman who the singer is warning others to watch out for to avoid getting robbed of their money. He explains how he lost his hard-earned five hundred dollars to her in hopes of buying a cart and horse. The singer also reveals that he kept the money in his pillowcase, but out of nowhere, Matilda stole it and ran away, leaving him heartbroken and broke.


The song "Matilda Matilda" is a prime example of how calypso music combines political commentary and humor in its storytelling. Through Matilda's character, the song satirizes those who take advantage of others' trust and money. As such, the song maintains its relevance, even today, by being a timeless classic that can be enjoyed by audiences worldwide over the decades.


Line by Line Meaning

Matilda, Matilda
Repeating the name of the person who took his money and ran away


Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela
Matilda took his money and fled to Venezuela


Five hundred dollars was the cost
He lost $500


It was to buy a cart and horse
The money was intended to be used for buying a cart and horse


Everybody, Matilda, Matilda
Repeating her name to express anger and frustration


Well, the money was just inside me bed
The money was hidden in his bed


Stuck in the pillow beneath me head
The money was inside a pillow under his head


Don't you know that
Emphasizing that it was a known fact


From the corner, Matilda, Matilda
Mentioning her name again from a different perspective


Well, me friends I'm never gonna love again
He lost his trust in people and is unlikely to trust someone deeply again


All the money gone in vain
He lost all his money for nothing


She's a grabber
Referring to Matilda as a thief


For the last time
Ending the song with a final mention of Matilda stealing his money




Contributed by Christian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Maja B


on What Is This Generation Coming To?

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble, Trouble
In the USA the teenager have the country in confusion
In the USA the teenager have the country in confusion
Rock n rollin’ all of the time
Have the parents out of their mind
Parents likin’ Liberace
Kids is likin Elvis Presley

Trouble, Trouble
So they rock n rollin night and day
Bouncin’ up and down in the way they do
The parents shakin’ their head and say
What is this generation comin’ to?

All the parents say the children will grow up to be delinquents, oh
If the children only dance to the rock n roll and the calypso
Parents tell them they should only
Like the opera and symphony
But the young kids are too busy
Diggin’ Mr. Belafonte

When the kids is bouncin’ up to the jukebox like the monkeys and frogs
All the newspapers they say that the teenagers goin’ to the dogs
But the kids don’t go to the dogs,
That’s the truth and these are the facts
All the girls is changin’ for chicks
All the fellows changin’ for cats

More Versions