Eric Bogle-And the band played Waltzing Matilda Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.
And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.
And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.
But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.
And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.
For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.
So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.
But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.
And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.
But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?
Statistics
Active Links: 4952
Pending Links: 11
Todays Links: 2
Total Articles: 58
Total Categories: 8
Sub Categories: 917
Provides personal and corporate gift-giving items to delivery points in the United States. Features gourmet foods, thank you, birthday, get well, and sympathy arrangements with 24-hours a day toll free ordering. - [Read more
]
Location Articles
Latest events, news, pictures and videos at FC Barcelona
A Blog dedicated to the most prestigious club in the world - F C Barcelona. For all the latest events, match results, all the latest news, rumours and pictures of your favourite F C Barcelona stars - Messi, Puyol, Bijan, henry etc.
Gépi Földmunka
Gépi földmunka épületbontás és sittszállítás hatékony Bobcat és Komatsu gépekkel.
Földmunka és mélyépítés Pest megyében, alapásás, útépítés, tereprendezés, árokásás, csatornázás.
Webáruház készítés
Webshop keresőoptimalizálás, webáruház készítés részletfizetési lehetőségekkel.
Hatékony értékesítési webboltok, reklámozás, marketing.
Webshop, webáruház készítés és hatékony keresőmarketing megoldások.
Are you looking for Car Loans in Canada?
It was a time when getting a loan was too difficult a task. But with advancement in technology and new strategies been applied into the service industry, getting a loan is no big a deal now.
Discover The Glories Of Rural Suffolk
From the 14th to the 16th century, Lavenham was at the centre of England’s cloth making industry and it was exporting its famous broadcloth as far as Russia and North Africa. In 1524, it was named the fourteenth wealthiest town in the country.
News
Welcome to Our World Directory
Our directory is a quality submit by location, world directory. Our small payment is a review fee, no refunds are made if your site is rejected, so please read the submission rules. We do not charge (free) reciprocal links. Articles should have a bias towards location or "travel". Thanks,