And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murray's green basin
I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915 my country said, son,
it's time to stop rambling,
cause there's work to be done
so they gave me a tin hat
and they sent me away to the war and
the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off for Gallipoli
How will I remember that terrible day
When the blood stained the
We were butchered like lamb
He shared us with bullets,
and he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat,
he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
and the Turks buried theirs
And it started all over again
Now those who were living
did their be st to survive
In that mad world of dust, blood and fire
Saw the corpses around me pile higher
Then a big turkey shell knocked
And when I awoke in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done,
Christ I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse
And no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
To the green bushes so far and near
For to hang tens and pegs
No more waltzing Matilda for
So they collected the cripples,
The legless, the armless,
wounded heroes of Southland
And as our ship pulled into circular quay
I looked at the place where
And thank Christ there was
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
they just stood and stared
And they turned their faces away
And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
Reliving the dreams of past glory
I see the old men all twisted and torn
The forgotten heroes of a forgotten war
And the young people ask me
what are they marching for
And I asked myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
But year after year their num
Someday no one will march
Ooh, got my Waltzing Matilda
