Waltzing Matilda must be one of the world's most popular and familiar folk songs, as well as being Australia's unofficial national anthem. I heard it in Australia at an Australian dinner event held regularly for tourists in Sydney.
(There is no H in m a t i l d a. The automatic spellchecker keeps reinserting the H and I keep removing it.)
I was researching quotations for one of my books and I was on April 26 Australia Day looking for a quotation. The one which sprang to mind was Waltzing Matilda. I tracked it down on on Wikipedia and found that there's a specific Waltzing Matilda day, April 6 commemorating the day the song was first performed.
And a Waltzing Matilda Museum. It is in Winton, Australia.
Winton is in Queensland, about 700 miles from Brisbane. Waltzing Matilda was first performed in a hotel. Winton is also the place where Quantas airline was founded.
Just to remind you of the song. The Swagman is an itinerant tramp or in modern terms backpacker. Waltzing is walking or meandering along. He is carrying his baggage on his back, as you might as a tourist in Australia, with a swag or Matilda or backpack containing all your belongings on your back.
The catchy tune is one of the most cheerful I know, designed to lift the spirits, really rousing in a group gathering, or even sitting alone at home by a laptop. Yet the words are initially, on first reading rather sad.
The swagman catches a sheep, (so he is a poacher - on somebody else's land? The swagman is chased, not just by one policeman, but by a posse of three policeman and the sheep's. presumably irate, owner. The defiant swagman jumps into the water to evade them, singing his song. He drowns. the listener, the singer says, can still hear the ghost singing. We finish with a rousing chorus.
Why? Can't swim Tragic accident? No. According to the Wikipedia account, he deliberately commits suicide. So, on the plus side, from his point of view, he has achieved his purpose, evaded them, evaded capture, stayed out of the jail, out of the city.
He's still dead. (From their point of view, dead thief, no loss.)
So far so bad. But it all happens so quickly that neither the characters described nor the hearers have time to feel sorry for themselves or anybody else. The end is with the ghost of the tramp singing the song.
This gives the swag man immorality, for those who believe in an afterlife, as well as immortal fame as a legendary figure.
For those of us who don't believe in ghosts, and think ghost stories are often legends, no need to feel sorry, it's just a make believe story, in which no animal was killed, no tramp died, and no policeman caught a fugitive. But the song goes on. If it has not immortalised a real tramp who supposedly jumped in a waterhole, it has immortalised the songwriter.
Another explanation of the song is on this excellent website:
http://www.hamilton.net.au/matilda.html
Among the things it explains is that a coolish tree is a eucalyptus.
http://www.matildacentre.com.au
According to the website they sell a camping hat with LED lights in the hat.
http://www.matildacentre.com.au/clothing
You can also hear the song Waltzing Matilda sung on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvazMc5EfE
You can also read the story of the Waltzing Matilda film, a comedy abut a case of mistaken identity and two characters on the run with a bit of romance thrown in.
Banjo Paterson OBE (17 Feb 1864-5 Feb 1941) died age 76. He wrote the poem The Man From Snowy River. The story is how a fearless young horse rider chases a runaway colt down and up a steep gorge. A picture of Banjo Paterson and the words of his poem are on the Australian $10 banknote.
Whether you are an Australian touring the country, an Australian overseas returning home, or a visitor from overseas, it's a good place to go and feel part of the history and geography and culture and music of the country.
Glossary
coolibah - eucalyptus or gum tree
swag - sleeping bag or rolled up sleeping blanket or base wrapped around belongings
tucker bag - tuck box or bag
matilda - swag
waltzing - walking
Angela Lansbury B A Hons, travel writer, author, speaker, comic poet.
See books on Lulu.com Facebook YouTube LinkedIn
(There is no H in m a t i l d a. The automatic spellchecker keeps reinserting the H and I keep removing it.)
I was researching quotations for one of my books and I was on April 26 Australia Day looking for a quotation. The one which sprang to mind was Waltzing Matilda. I tracked it down on on Wikipedia and found that there's a specific Waltzing Matilda day, April 6 commemorating the day the song was first performed.
Winton is in Queensland, about 700 miles from Brisbane. Waltzing Matilda was first performed in a hotel. Winton is also the place where Quantas airline was founded.
Just to remind you of the song. The Swagman is an itinerant tramp or in modern terms backpacker. Waltzing is walking or meandering along. He is carrying his baggage on his back, as you might as a tourist in Australia, with a swag or Matilda or backpack containing all your belongings on your back.
The catchy tune is one of the most cheerful I know, designed to lift the spirits, really rousing in a group gathering, or even sitting alone at home by a laptop. Yet the words are initially, on first reading rather sad.
The swagman catches a sheep, (so he is a poacher - on somebody else's land? The swagman is chased, not just by one policeman, but by a posse of three policeman and the sheep's. presumably irate, owner. The defiant swagman jumps into the water to evade them, singing his song. He drowns. the listener, the singer says, can still hear the ghost singing. We finish with a rousing chorus.
Why? Can't swim Tragic accident? No. According to the Wikipedia account, he deliberately commits suicide. So, on the plus side, from his point of view, he has achieved his purpose, evaded them, evaded capture, stayed out of the jail, out of the city.
He's still dead. (From their point of view, dead thief, no loss.)
So far so bad. But it all happens so quickly that neither the characters described nor the hearers have time to feel sorry for themselves or anybody else. The end is with the ghost of the tramp singing the song.
This gives the swag man immorality, for those who believe in an afterlife, as well as immortal fame as a legendary figure.
For those of us who don't believe in ghosts, and think ghost stories are often legends, no need to feel sorry, it's just a make believe story, in which no animal was killed, no tramp died, and no policeman caught a fugitive. But the song goes on. If it has not immortalised a real tramp who supposedly jumped in a waterhole, it has immortalised the songwriter.
Another explanation of the song is on this excellent website:
http://www.hamilton.net.au/matilda.html
Among the things it explains is that a coolish tree is a eucalyptus.
http://www.matildacentre.com.au
According to the website they sell a camping hat with LED lights in the hat.
http://www.matildacentre.com.au/clothing
You can also hear the song Waltzing Matilda sung on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvazMc5EfE
You can also read the story of the Waltzing Matilda film, a comedy abut a case of mistaken identity and two characters on the run with a bit of romance thrown in.
Banjo Paterson OBE (17 Feb 1864-5 Feb 1941) died age 76. He wrote the poem The Man From Snowy River. The story is how a fearless young horse rider chases a runaway colt down and up a steep gorge. A picture of Banjo Paterson and the words of his poem are on the Australian $10 banknote.
Whether you are an Australian touring the country, an Australian overseas returning home, or a visitor from overseas, it's a good place to go and feel part of the history and geography and culture and music of the country.
Glossary
coolibah - eucalyptus or gum tree
swag - sleeping bag or rolled up sleeping blanket or base wrapped around belongings
tucker bag - tuck box or bag
matilda - swag
waltzing - walking
Angela Lansbury B A Hons, travel writer, author, speaker, comic poet.
See books on Lulu.com Facebook YouTube LinkedIn
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