Waltzing Matilda
Rolf Harris Lyrics


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Spoken
( Waltzing Matilda is a song about an Australian Hobo
I guess you'd call him. He wanders through the bush
land of Australia and he takes all his meagre belongings
wrapped up in an old blanket which is strung across his
shoulders with an old piece of twine and this is called his swag.
Hence the name swagman. Now affectionately or otherwise
he refers to his swag as Matilda, its like his only companion
as he wanders through the bush tracks he finds himself talking
to it as if its a real person. So the term Waltzing Matilda is nothing
to do with dancing at all, it means in fact carrying this thing on your
back through the long lonely stretches of the Australian bush.
Couple of other terms quickly, pay attention because I will be
asking questions afterwards about this, couple of other terms.
A billabong is a pool of deep water, a billy is a little tin can they
boil the tea in, a jumbuck is a sheep, err tucker bag is a bag for
carrying tucker, food bag tucker is food sort of like a knapsack.
What else the squatter is the big land owner, that's enough lets
get on with the song.)

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
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 watched and waited till his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Then down came a jumbuck to drink at that 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

Then down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came the troopers one two three
Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that 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
Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

So up jumped the swagman and he sprang into that billabong
You'll never take me alive said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You'll come a-waltz ....

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

Overall Meaning

The song "Waltzing Matilda" by Rolf Harris tells the story of a swagman, or an Australian hobo, who is traveling through the bushland of Australia with his swag, which is an old blanket wrapped around his meager belongings. The swag is his only companion and he talks to it as if it is a real person. The term "waltzing" refers to carrying the swag on his back, and "Matilda" is the swag itself. The swagman camps by a billabong under the shade of a Coolibah tree and sings as he watches and waits for his billy to boil. A jumbuck (a sheep) comes to drink at the billabong, and the swagman catches it and puts it in his tucker bag (food bag).


A squatter, or big landowner, and three troopers come and ask the swagman where the jumbuck is. He tries to run but is caught and chooses to jump into the billabong and drown himself rather than be taken alive. The last lines of the song state that the swagman's ghost can still be heard by the billabong, and the chorus repeats the invitation to waltz Matilda.


Line by Line Meaning

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Once a happy hobo set up camp by a pool of deep water


Under the shade of a Coolibah tree
In the shade of a Coolibah tree


And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
Humming a tune, he waited for water to boil in his little tin can for tea


You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
Come with me and carry my swag.


Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Carrying my swag, carrying my swag


Then down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong
A sheep came by to drink at the pool


Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
The hobo jumped up and caught the sheep eagerly


And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag
Singing to himself, he put the sheep in his food bag


Then down came the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
The big landowner came riding in on his fancy horse


Down came the troopers one two three
The policemen came too, three in number


Right-o where's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?
Well, where did you put that sheep that's now in your food bag?


So up jumped the swagman and he sprang into that billabong
The hobo jumped and ran into the pool


You'll never take me alive said he
He said, 'You won't catch me alive'


And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
And now you can hear his ghost haunting that pool


You'll come a-waltz...
Come carry my swag...




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ADRIAAN VAN LANDSCHOOT, A B BANJO PATERSON, JAMES BARR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Allan Visser


on Papillon

If you would like the lyrics for "Papillon" by Rolf Harris, Then here they are:

Papillon by Rolf Harris

I so well remember my first love,
Summer days and fields of gold,
Me and Papillon were only 5 summers old.
We went chasing after butterflies,
In a game we couldn’t win,
Til’ the darkness of the Autumn nights would begin,
Would begin.

Papillon, Papillon,
Soon the winter will be gone,
Papillon, Papillon,
Wait til’ summer comes along.

As we grew together hand in hand,
Never dreaming of goodbye,
Was I wrong to build my childish hopes up so high?,
I’ve recounted every single one,
But the solitary day,
When she said to me that we must go separate ways,
Separate ways.

Papillon, Papillon,
Soon the winter will be gone,
Papillon, Papillon,
Wait til’ summer comes along.
Papillon, Papillon,
All the memories will remain,
Papillon, Papillon,
Til I find you once again.

I’ve been married almost 3 years now,
And a little girl is born,
Was it foolishness to christen her Papillon?,
Come the summer we’ll chase butterflies,
Til’ September sees them gone,
I’ll relive again those happy days,
With my own Papillon.

Papillon, Papillon,
Soon the winter will be gone,
Papillon, Papillon,
Wait til’ summer comes along.
Papillon, Papillon,
I’ll be thinking even then,
Papillon, Papillon,
I must lose you once again.

Papillon, Papillon,
La la la...... (x4)

Fade out.

Arthur trevaskis


on Letter to Narelle

In the first line, delete caressing and insert kerosene.

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