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“Waltzing Matilda”

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA’S song “Waltzing Matilda” is widely known around the world. A sudden burst of interest in the song came about last year on the hundredth anniversary of its first public performance on April 6, 1895.

How did a simple ballad with somewhat cryptic lyrics become so popular, not only throughout Australia but in many countries of the world? There are conflicting accounts of the exact origin of the song. However, the consensus is that the original author of the lyrics was A. B. (Banjo) Paterson, whose poems became best-sellers in Australia during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

The wording of “Waltzing Matilda” varies, but the story about a swagman comes through clearly. A swag is a packet of personal belongings, and the swagman is the one who carries the swag when traveling. In this tune the swagman has set up his camp alongside a small tributary of a river, known as a billabong in outback Australia. As he boiled his billy, or metal pot, over the campfire, a well-fed sheep, known as a jumbuck, came down to drink at the same billabong. The swagman caught the sheep, killed it, and put the carcass into his tucker-bag, a bag used for carrying food supplies. No sooner had he done this than the squatter who owned the property rode up on his horse. (Squatters were farmers who had earned the right of possession by “squatting” on the land. Later, they were able to have their vast land holdings registered.) This squatter was accompanied by three troopers, mounted police. When the hapless swagman is accused of stealing the sheep, and no doubt is faced with imprisonment or worse, he leaps up, jumps into the billabong, and drowns.

Why does this improbable tale have such appeal? One explanation is that of Bruce Elder in his introduction to Rex Newell’s book Favourite Poems of Banjo Paterson. He suggests that the song is a statement of the way Australians want to see themselves: “It is much more than just the tale of a swaggie who steals a sheep. It is an expression of our dislike of bullying and authority figures. The swaggie is every Australian who ever wanted to laugh in the face of a petty official . . . Better to jump into the billabong than to let these people rule our lives.” But whatever the reason for its popularity, “Waltzing Matilda” has become an Australian symbol-in-song for more than 100 years.

What Does “Waltzing Matilda” Mean?

The song has four verses, or short stanzas. After each verse a chorus follows, beginning with the lines:

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,

You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

These are followed by two lines repeating what had been described in the preceding verse. The song takes its name from this chorus.

Uncertainty, even controversy, has developed as to what exactly a “matilda” is and who does the “waltzing.” The simple explanation offered by some researchers seems to be the most satisfactory. Says one writer: “Paterson was . . . fascinated by the swagmen who tramped from property to property with all their belongings lumped together in a rolled-up swag slung over the shoulder. He liked the colloquial language these swagmen used. Carrying a swag was known as ‘humping the bluey’, ‘shouldering the knot’, ‘carrying the curse’ or ‘waltzing Matilda.’”

The succinct definition of the waltzing matilda by Sydney May, in his book The Story of “Waltzing Matilda,” reads: “The clothes and personal belongings were rolled compactly and then wrapped in the unfolded blanket. The blanket was then tied at each end of the compact centre roll, and carried round the neck with the loose ends falling down each side in front and one arm usually appeared to be clasping one end.”

“Matilda’s” Fame Spreads

Sydney May concludes that it was the sailing of Australian troops to other lands during the first and second world wars that brought the song “Waltzing Matilda” into such popularity outside the country of its origin. He gives these examples: “In 1941 at Tel Aviv the cafe orchestras played it the moment an Australian crossed the cafe entrance; the Ninth Division sang it as they entered Bardia after its recapture by them; an Australian war vessel joining a British Fleet, as early as 1917, was welcomed by the Flag Ship band playing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and an Australian about to speak on the air overseas is introduced by this theme tune.” Among the most prestigious occasions where the song was played were the ceremonial parades of the Coronation Contingent of Australian troops at Buckingham Palace, London, during the week prior to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

An interesting press report also gives some idea of the popularity of “Waltzing Matilda” with those in many walks of life. The newspaper report reads: “One evening after [Australia’s prime minister] Mr. Menzies had dined at The Chequers with [Britain’s prime minister] Mr. Churchill and Fighting French leader General de Gaulle, they adjourned to one of the other rooms. Sir Winston gave a sign and a record of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ was played. Singing lustily and almost dancing around the room, he stopped to tell the General: ‘That’s one of the finest songs in the world.’”

Further attesting to “Matilda’s” popularity, Richard Magoffin in his book Waltzing Matilda—The Story Behind the Legend states: “During the Second World War, the song of the billabongs was taken still further across the world, wherever Australian diggers [soldiers] went. It was a song that easily evoked memories of home and was easily identified as Australian.” He also quotes film producer Kramer, who selected “Waltzing Matilda” to feature prominently in the film On the Beach. Kramer said: “This is a remarkably versatile song. It can be played as a folk tune, a march, a ballad or in any other musical form, and we have used it in a dozen different ways in the score for ‘On the Beach’. I decided, almost on the spur of the moment, that ‘Waltzing Matilda’ should be the feature tune of the film’s musical score.”

Does It Have a Message?

Some believe that Banjo Paterson was sending a message to those who read and sang his song. For example, William Power wrote an article in Yale Review in the United States expressing some soul-searching thoughts relative to a possible message in the song. While obviously not all would share his opinions, nevertheless, his comments make a fitting conclusion to this short analysis of “Waltzing Matilda.” He said:

“Australians have had to struggle not only with the forces of nature, but with the shortcomings of human nature. . . . These tensions find expression in ‘Waltzing Matilda’, the antagonists being the two extreme types, squatter and swagman. In such a conflict, most would declare that the squatter deserves to win. The economy of Australia depends largely on his prowess as a sheep or cattle raiser. He is hard-working, responsible, daring; if he lacked any of the qualities which we associate with the pioneer, he would not remain a squatter for long. . . . The swagman, too, is a human being. . . . He, too, is part of society. Some few swagmen rose to become squatters; more achieved a lesser but still satisfactory status as farmers, station hands, mechanics, city workers; others remained landless and homeless to the end of their days, leaving their bones along the inland tracks. Society may require that the squatter shall prevail over the swagman, but the rights of the swagman as a human being must never be forgotten.”

Now, more than 100 years have passed since this simple outback ballad was written. Little did Banjo Paterson realize that his poem put to music would become such a popular Australian song.