Hiya All,

OK, since this is General Chit Chat........... I love folk music and I can think of no better piece of folk music than Waltzing Matilda. But it makes me wonder how this song is perceived in Australia. So, with your kind indulgence, a few questions.....

Does most everybody in Oz know the lyrics to Waltzing Matilda?

Does the story within the song have any special significance to you? To Australians in general?

How would you describe the use of the song? It's a drinking song. It's a quasi national anthem. It's just a song.

What do you think of when you hear Waltzing Matilda?

And anything else you might wish to add would be appreciated.

It's an Aussie song, so it has to be good
If you really knew the song then you would be able to tell me the Swagmans first name then?

His first name is Andy.

Does most everybody in Oz know the lyrics to Waltzing Matilda? CAN'T ANSWER FOR ALL BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER NOT KNOWING IT.

Does the story within the song have any special significance to you? To Australians in general? NO REAL SIGNIFICANCE TO ME EXCEPT THAT I IDENTIFY IT AS UNIQUELY AUSTRALIAN.

How would you describe the use of the song? It's a drinking song. It's a quasi national anthem. It's just a song. QUASI NATIONAL.

What do you think of when you hear Waltzing Matilda? HMM, MAYBE I THINK OF GUM TREES AND SMALL OUTBACK RIVERS, CAN'T REALY SAY THAT I THINK OF ANYTHING DEFINITE BUT IT DOES GET ME FEELING THAT IT'S GOOD TO BE AN AUSIE

Not yelling just trying to make the answers stand out from the questions.

It makes me feel a bit like when I hear the last post on Anzac day sorta proud and humble at the same time.

Hiya DUBB,

Hiya donn,

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of info this Yank needs.

Hiya All,

Just thought of one more question about Waltzing Matilda.........

When you hear this song............is it usually played uptempo or is it played more slowly?

every body knows the chorus, most people would know the words with backing vocals, I dont think most people would be able to sing it on their own.

I dont think the story has any significance

Its a patriotism song, mainly used at sporting events, especially international rugby. The #1 drinking song/quasi national anthem is khe sanh, misheard lyrics included. we leaving our hearts to the salvos and flying on trains from sydney to hong kong cos we're stupid aussies and we cant see that that would be absurd.

Its usually played at the slow speed as a singalong. If you're at a bush dance its faster, more irish reel tempo, as is most ye olde time australian folk. Cos back in the days we were mostly irish. Irish convicts or Irish refugees fleeing the bastard english.

Its a bit sappy but True Blue, by John WIlliamson is another quazi anthem. Lets face it, anything is better than Advance Australia Fair. Personally I'd like to have We Cant Be Beaten by Rose Tattoo, but sadly its only fitting at swimming pools these days.

What about Working Class Man and Flame Trees

Hell just put down Cold Chisel!!

Peter Allen's 'I still call Australia home' would have to be right up there.

its just the Australian way that we love a song about a suicidal thief

Peter Allen's 'I still call Australia home' smacks of so much hippocrasy (spelling?) that I can't even listen to it, he left the land of Oz and to my knowledge never came back, he lost all claims to call this land home. Now "I come from the land down under' realy gets me singing along.

True. It is the only song that has won the America's Cup.

Waltzing Matilda=Australia......'nuff said
If ya dont love it,!@#$ off!

Andy answered the question
In 2000 I was driving across Death valley with a mate and the radio played Down under and we were singing so loud and crying I will always rememeber that moment of the trip. My top Aussie 5
1/ Down under 2/ still call australia 3/ waltzing matilda 4/ Australiana 5/ Long way to the shop

There is something about Waltzing Matilda that tugs at Australian heart strings - not sure what it is. The story of a suicidal swagman! Banjo Patterson wrote the lyrics in 1895, when he was staying at the Dagworth homestead in QLD, as a tribute to the Great Shearers' Strike that had occurred in the area the previous year. The tune was based on a Celtic folk tune called The Craigeelee.

'Matilda' is not a person, but is the nickname for the swagman's bundle, his swag. 'Waltzing' is not the dance, but refers to the practice of travelling and working for different masters over a period of time, as carpenters often did. In fact Waltzing Matilda is not in 3/4 time - it isn't a waltz.

There is second version of Waltzing Matilda - the so-called QLD version - that uses a completely different tune and slightly different words ('leading the water bag'). That one is nowhere near as popular, although I do remember learning to play it on the recorder at school.

Waltzing Matilda was just a locally popular song until it was used by the Billy Tea company as an advertising jingle in 1910, after which it became nationally famous. In 1961 Jack O'Hagan wrote new lyrics to the traditional tune, and created a new song called 'God Bless Australia', intended as a possible new national anthem. Sung to the tune of Waltzing Matilda, the chorus went:

God bless Australia, Our land Australia,
Home of the Anzac, the strong and the free
It's our homeland, our own land,
To cherish for eternity,
God bless Australia, The land of the free.

One really emotional version (particularly around Anzac Day), is called 'When The Band Played Watzing Matilda' by Eric Bogle. It's about a WW1 veteran, crippled at Gallipoli, and his reflections on war and the march every Anzac Day. As year follows year, more old men disappear, soon no one will march there at all. And the band played Waltzing Matilda... I can't listen to it without getting a lump in my throat.

One that always seems to quieten the room is "I was only 19"

Think of how you feel when you first hear "Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light....", and then you'll get the idea what it means. I think to most Australians, Waltzing Matilda means more than Advance Australia Fair due to it's passionate nature.

Personally, this is my favourite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiEycVMKoJo 

Cant knock Matilda but my fav has to be gangajangs "sound of then" thats is true blue song and who does not like Australiana by Mr austin lol

I know most of the song and it is primarily about 'stealing' which is a foundation of our foundation
how else did most of our forefathers want of arrival here..

It's also the official march of the 1st Division of the US Marine Corps.
More on this if you will.
Thanks
Don

Hiya George,

It's interesting that The Star Spangled Banner is brought up. You are absolutely correct concerning the facts behind the origination of the song. Moreover, it is a very tough song to sing well. Even though it is traditionally played before sporting events, I doubt that most Americans know the complete lyrics. There is a movement afoot to replace it with America, the Beautiful or some other song. That will likely not happen, but it does give one an idea of how this song is received in the USA.

This is why I asked the questions about Waltzing Matilda in the first place. I wanted to know how you in Australia regarded the song. How it's accepted and played. If I'm going to sing it, I think I should know what it means to the people to whom it belongs.