Waltzing Matilda

Waltzing Matilda is an Australian Folk song written by Banjo Paterson in 1895. The Jukebox Band sang the song in the Season 3 episode Mysterious Stranger. The song tells the story of an itinerant worker, refered to as a "swagman" as he sets up camp and captures a sheep to eat. The sheeps owner, a "squater" and three police men try to catch the man. The swagman jumps into a billabong to avoid being caught. He sadly drowns in his attempt to escape and forever haunts the billabong calling out to those who visit "You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me". The Jukebox Band perform the song to calm themselves down after hearing about a theif in the station.

Lyrics

There once was a swagman camped in a billabong

Under the shade of a coolabah tree

and he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling

"Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me?"

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water hole

up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee

and he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker back

"You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me!"

Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda my darlin'

Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda leadin' a water bag

You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Down came the squater riding his thoroughbred

Down come the policemen, one, two, three

"Whose is this jumbuck you've got in your bag?"

You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

But the swagman got up and jumped into the water hole

drowned himself by the coolabah tree

and his ghost may be heard as it sings in the billabong

"Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me?"

Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda my darlin'

Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda leadin' a water bag

You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Gallery

Trivia

• This is the only time The Jukebox Band have played an Australian song.