And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

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 1915, my country said son

It's time you stopped rambling, 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 we sailed away from the quay

And amidst all the cheers

The shouts and the tears

We sailed off for Gallipoli

 

How well I remember that terrible day

When the blood stained the sand and the water

And how in the hell that they called Suvla Bay

We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter

 

Johnny Turk, he was ready

He'd primed himself well

He showered 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

We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs

Then we started all over again

 

My tribute to the Anzacs on this day 25th April 2023

 

Lest We Forget

Done