And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
The Pogues Lyrics

When I was a young man I carried my pack
As a young man, I was a free-spirited traveler who carried everything I needed in my pack.

And I lived the free life of a rover
I embraced the freedom to wander and explore different places.

From the murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I traveled from lush valleys to desolate regions, experiencing the vastness of my homeland.

I waltzed my matilda all over
I carried my swag or bindle, the symbol of the itinerant worker, as I roamed and explored.

Then in nineteen fifteen my country said son
In 1915, my country called on me to serve.

It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
I had to put my carefree lifestyle on hold because there was a duty that I needed to fulfill.

So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
To fight in war, I was issued a helmet and weapon as my tools.

And they sent me away to the war
After the preparations, I was sent to the battlefield.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
In the midst of the emotions surrounding the departure, a band played an instrumental version of Waltzing Matilda.

As we sailed away from the quay
As a ship left the shore, I waved goodbye to those left behind.

And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
Leaving caused a mix of emotions, including crying, yelling, and cheering.

We sailed off to Gallipoli
Our destination was to engage in the Battle of Gallipoli.

How well I remember that terrible day
The memory of the battle still stuck with me.

When the blood stained the sand and the water
The colors of the battle changed the look of the surroundings forever, staining the sand and water red with blood.

And how in that hell that they called suvla bay
The place where the battle took place was one of the most terrible ones, known as Suvla Bay.

We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
In battle, we were defenseless prey for the enemy who killed us without mercy.

Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
The Turkish soldiers who were fighting were well-equipped, and that helped them stay prepared.

He showered us with bullets, he rained us with shells
The Turkish soldiers kept on firing guns and bombs at us relentlessly.

And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
In no time at all, the Turkish soldiers took our lives and destroyed us.

Nearly blew us right back to Australia
We were in danger of getting killed so badly that our spirits may have returned to our homeland.

But the band played waltzing Matilda
Even when our lives were in danger, a band played the song Waltzing Matilda to encourage and motivate us.

As we stopped to bury our slain
We took a break from fighting to perform the ritual of burying the dead as the band played on.

And we buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Both sides had to bury the dead, including our fellow soldiers, and the Turkish soldiers they killed.

Then it started all over again
The fighting resumed with equal ferocity as the break ended.

Now those who were living did their best to survive
Those who didn't get killed in the previous phases tried their best to stay alive in the continuing battle.

In that mad world of blood, death, and fire
The battlefield was a place where everything was cruel, intense, and violent.

And for seven long weeks, I kept myself alive
I lived for seven weeks in these hellish conditions, witnessing the worst of war.

While the corpses around me piled higher
Firsthand, I saw the increasing number of dead bodies lying around me.

Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
Finally, I was hit by a massive Turkish warhead, which knocked me over.

And when I woke up in my hospital bed
When I gained consciousness, I found myself in a hospital bed.

And saw what it had done, Christ I wished I was Dead
When I realized the extent of my injuries, death appeared to be a preferable outcome.

Never knew there were worse things than dying
For me, the immeasurable pain and suffering of being injured outweighed the prospect of death.

And no more I'll go a-waltzing Matilda
After experiencing the horrors and brutality of war, I resolve not to roam around carefree with my swag anymore.

To the green bushes so far and near
I won't wander away to explore the distant greenery anymore.

For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
Without my legs, I can't carry a tent and its hardware, so I can't walk long distances either.

No more waltzing Matilda for me
Without legs, I won't go roaming and exploring anymore.

So they collected the cripples, the wounded and maimed
The soldiers who survived went back home -- those who were crippled, wounded, and wounded so badly they were maimed.

And they shipped us back home to Australia
By boat, we returned to our homeland in Australia.

The legless, the armless, the blind and insane
When we arrived in Australia, we were accompanied by soldiers who were missing limbs, arms, and even their sanity.

Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
The soldiers who survived were proud to have served their country, even if we were injured in the process.

And as our ship pulled into circular quay
We arrived at Circular Quay, an area in Australia that was packed with people.

I looked at the place where me legs used to be
As I looked down at my legs, or what happened to them, because they had to be amputated for my survival.

And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
I was relieved that no one was waiting for me back in Australia who had to grieve, mourn, or pity me.

To grieve and to mourn and to pity
It's something I wanted to avoid because I didn't wish for anyone else to deal with my problems, pain, or sorrow.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we arrived back in Australia, a band played the song Waltzing Matilda.

As they carried us down the gangway
As we were transported back on land, our fellow Australians carried us down the gangway.

But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
The people who saw us didn't cheer or express joy upon our return, but stood nearby and watched.

And they turned all their faces away
Other people were took the opposite direction, unwilling to witness the horrors that the soldiers witnessed during their time at the frontline.

And now every April I sit on my porch
Years later, every April (Australia’s Armed Forces Day) I sit on my porch to reflect and remember.

And I watch the parade pass before me
While sitting there, I watch the parade of soldiers and cadets march down the street.

I see my old comrades, how proudly they march
I saw some of my fellow soldiers who had served with me, walking with pride as they paraded.

Reliving the dreams of past glory
They relive the memories and victories of the past, the successes they had during the battle.

I see the old men, all twisted and torn
I also saw some older soldiers who were beaten, injured and disfigured in the war, still living with the impact.

The forgotten heroes of a forgotten war
For many, the war and their sacrifice remains unrecognized, so their bravery is forgotten.

And the young people ask me, 'what are they Marching for?'
The youth of Australia question why the elderly soldiers are marching in a parade, unaware of the past sacrifices and dedication.

And I ask myself the same question
As an elderly soldier himself, he wonders why they still parade until now.

And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
Yet the band plays the familiar tune of Waltzing Matilda to remind the soldiers of that time.

And the old men still answer to the call
Despite their advanced age, the elderly soldiers still participate in the parade when they're called.

But year after year their numbers get fewer
With every passing year, fewer and fewer of the soldiers are left alive.

Someday no one will march there at all
The day may come when none of the soldiers who survived the war remain to march in the parade.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
The song Waltzing Matilda acts as a reminder of those that were lost during the war.

Who'll go a-Waltzing Matilda with me?
The singer asks if anyone is willing to go wandering and exploring with him.