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ent000467-039

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ent000467-039
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    University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Libraries

    WALTZING MATILDA r Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a coolabah tree; And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled, "Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?" Waltzing Matilda, watlzing Matilda, Who111 come a waltzing Matilda with me And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled, Whofll come a waltzing Matilda with me Up came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong, Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag, Whofll come a waltzing Matilda with me? Chorus Up came a squatter mounted on his thouroughbred, Down came the troopers, one, two, three, Wherefs that jolly jumbuck youfve got in your tuckerbag, Youf11 come a waltzing Matilda with me Chorus Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong "Youf 11 never take me alive,f said he And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong, "Who* 11 come a waltzing Matilda with me?" Chorus In 1895 AB Paterson visited Dagworth Station in Queensland owned by the Mc Pherson family* Whilst there he was played a tune which subsequently became Waltzing Matilda. It is believed to be an old Scottish air, possibly a march from the Craigilee or the Bold Fusilier regiments, though this is not known for certain. The tune was played to him by Christina McPherson who pla yed the tune on an autoharp, a version of a zither. Christinafs brother, Robert McPherson, related two traditional bush stories, one concerning an old swaggie who drowned himself rather than be caught by the police and the other concerning the discovery of a sheep on the property with a hind quarter missing. Paterson combined both stories into the lyric of Waltzing Matilda. Waltzing Matilda is a Queensland term with refers to a swag or a back pack. A jumbuck is a sheep. A tuckerbag is a bag for food* Paterson is believed to have written the words in about 10 minutes?╟≤ fftf& -Jt f^y/f&f/Z* f'&y'