JohnandMichelle

I always thought of this as an Irish song because the Furey Brothers sang it - but heard a bit of it on a tv ad for Anzac Day and googled it out of curiosity - its very much an Aussie song and the word are very thought provoking and sad. Just thought I'd share it with everyone -

And the Band Played "Waltzing Matilda"
Eric Bogle

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
I waltzed my matilda all over.
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son,
It's time to stop ramblin, there's work to be done,
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun,
and they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As the ship sailed away from the Quay,
And amid all the tears, flag waving and cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli.

And well I remember that terrible day
When our blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well,
He rained us with bullets, and he showered us with shells,
And in five minutes flat we were all blown to hell,
Nearly blew us back home to Australia.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda,
As we stopped to bury our slain,
We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.

Now those that were living just tried to survive,
In that mad world of blood death and fire,
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive,
But around me the corpses piled higher and higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in my hospital bed,
I saw what it had done I wished I was dead,
Never knew there were worse things than dying.

For no more I'll go Waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs
No more Waltzing Matilda for me.

They collected the wounded, the crippled, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind and insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where my legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was no one there waiting for me,
To grieve and to mourn and to pity.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda,
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then turned all their faces away.

And now every April I sit on my porch,
And I watch the parade pass before me,
And I watch all my old comrades, how proudly they march
Renewing old dreams of past glory.
I see the old men all tired, stiff and sore,
The forgotten old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, 'What are they marching for?'
And I ask myself the same question.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda,
And the old men still answer the call,
But year after year their numbers grow fewer,
Some day no one will march there at all.

Last chorus
'Waltzing Matilda' 'Waltzing Matilda'
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me
And their ghosts can be heard as they pass by the Billabong
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me

SunshineGirl

I've heard this before but it's still beautiful.

LEST WE FORGET.

Scossie

Great post guys.

I'll be there at the dawn service in Perth's Kings Park next Wednesday, (as I have been every year since I got here.)

My Wife's Grandfather fought in The Commandos through the whole 6 years of WW2. He never claimed his medals because he said he was, "just doing his job."
With the permission of my Wife's family, I'm now in the process of claiming his medals so that my 5 month old daughter can one day march down St George's Terrace on ANZAC Day proudly wearing them in recognition of what her Great Grandfather did for us.

LEST WE FORGET.

sme

I have always loved The Pogues version of it. A beautiful song.

Amazulu

Australian soldiers/sailors/airmen will be out and about in your city over the next few days collecting money. Be sure to give generously.