Waltzing Matilda Australia's Favourite Song
Swagman catching sheep by a billabong
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most famous folk song. It tells the story of a swagman—a traveling labourer—who steals a sheep (jumbuck) and is caught by the landowner (squatter) and the police (troopers). Rather than face capture, he jumps into a billabong (waterhole) and drowns. His ghost is said to haunt the area, singing the song’s refrain. The song was written in 1895 by Banjo Paterson with music composed by Christina Macpherson.
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia’s most recognized song, even more widely known than the national anthem. It is played at major public events, including Olympic Games, ANZAC Day ceremonies, and sporting events. Over the years, the song has become a symbol of Australian identity, resilience, and culture.
Lyrics of "Waltzing Matilda" Waltzing Matilda Words
Verse 1
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?
Verse 2
Along came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
You'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me.
(Chorus repeats)
Verse 3
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
You'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me.
(Chorus repeats)
Verse 4
Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive!" said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?
(Chorus repeats)
Waltzing Matilda Meaning Waltzing Matilda Explained
Verses 1 & 2
A hungry worker (swagman) is resting under a shady eucalyptus tree (coolibah) by a watering hole (billabong). He has lit a camp-fire and is making himself some tea in a tin can (billy). While waiting for his tea to boil, he sings a wistful tune, asking, "Who will keep me company—who will be my friend as I travel from place to place?"
Verses 3 & 4
While resting by the billabong, singing his little tune, the swagman notices a sheep (jumbuck) wandering down to the watering-hole for a drink. The swagman is starving. He hasn't eaten in days. So he catches the sheep, kills it, eats what he can, and stows the rest in his backpack (tucker bag).
Verses 5 & 6
Unfortunately for the swagman, the wealthy landowner (squatter) arrives at the water-hole. He is riding his expensive horse (thoroughbred) and accompanied by three policemen (troopers). They catch the swagman red-handed with the remains of the sheep in his backpack and try to arrest him for killing the sheep.
Verses 7 & 8
Preferring death over imprisonment for his crime, the swagman jumps into a water-hole and tries to escape. But, regrettably, the swagman drowns instead. Ever since that day, his ghost still haunts the water-hole and can be heard singing. "Who'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me?".
"Waltzing Matilda" Words Explained Meaning of Words Used In Waltzing Matilda
Waltzing Matilda uses many traditional Australian slang words to tells a story of hardship and defiance. These words are explained below.
Photo: Swagman with a Matilda, Tucker Bag and Billy
Waltzing Matilda – The phrase originates from German immigrants and means traveling on foot with one's belongings (read more here).
Jolly – Means to be happy (Not in common usage today).
Swagman – A hobo, an itinerant worker, who travelled from place to place in search of work. A swagman was usually extremely poor and carried all his belongings wrapped up in a blanket slung over his shoulder called a swag.
Billabong – A waterhole or pond. It is an aboriginal word meaning little or no water.
Coolibah Tree – A type of eucalyptus tree that usually grows near water sources.
Billy – A tin can with a wire handle used to boil water over a camp-fire.
Jumbuck – Slang for sheep. It is derived from the two words jumping buck.
Waltz – Means to travel from place to place. It originated from the German phrase "Auf der Walz" (roughly translated as "on the road").
Matilda – To carry one's belongings in a blanket slung over his shoulder.
Tucker Bag – A bag for storing and carrying food (tucker), usually an old sugar or flour sack.
Squatter – A wealthy landowner, a rancher.
Thoroughbred – An expensive pedigreed horse.
Trooper – A policeman or soldier on horseback.
Where Did The Phrase "Waltzing Matilda" Come From?Waltzing Matilda - Origin of the Phrase
Photo: Soldier with Matilda
The phrase "Waltzing Matilda" means to travel on foot, from place to place, carrying one's belongings in a bundle slung over one's back. This phrase gained popularity in the 1890s among impoverished workers in rural Australia. It originated from German immigrants who started settling in Australia around 1838. Waltzing is from the German term 'auf der walz', which means travelling while learning a trade. In Australia, the German word 'walz' became 'waltz' after a fashionable dance at the time. Matilda has German origins, too. It was a name given to females who accompanied soldiers during the Thirty Year Wars in Europe. The expression then evolved to mean" to be kept warm at night" and later to mean the great army coats or blankets that soldiers wrapped themselves with. These were rolled into a swag and carried behind their shoulders while marching (see photo). So that's how the phrase 'Waltzing Matilda' originated.
Who Wrote Waltzing Matilda? Author and Composer
Listen to Waltzing Matilda
Played on a Zither
Waltzing Matilda was written by Banjo Paterson in 1895, with music composed by Christina Macpherson. Paterson was captivated by a whimsical tune Christina often played on her zither. After hearing the story of a swagman who met a tragic fate, he set lyrics to her melody, creating what would become Waltzing Matilda. They refined the song at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton, Queensland, and it soon became a beloved national symbol. The cheerful version known today was later arranged by Maria Cowan, quickly gaining widespread popularity.
Waltzing Matilda is Base on a True Story Where Did the Inspiration for Waltzing Matilda Come From?
Photo: Map of sites from Waltzing Matilda
The song is based on real events that Paterson heard of while visiting Dagworth Station in Outback Queensland. While there, he heard stories from Christina's brother, Robert Macpherson, of unrest surrounding the 1894 Sheep Shearers' Strike. This unrest had spilt over to Dagworth, where a group of 16 shearers set fire to the Dagworth shearing shed, killing over a hundred and forty lambs. Robert Macpherson and three policemen had given chase to one of them, a man named Samuel Hoffmeister, who was said to be responsible for starting the fire. They didn't catch Hoffmeister, but he was found dead a day later at the Four Mile Billabong near Kynun with a gunshot wound, which appeared to be a case of suicide. In a radio interview in 1936, Banjo Paterson said, "The shearers staged a strike by way of expressing themselves, and Macpherson's woolshed was burnt down, and a man was picked up dead". There was also a story doing the rounds at that time about a police posse on the lookout for Harry Wood, a man accused of beating an Aboriginal boy to death. They didn't find Harry. But they did come across a hapless swagman camped by a billabong (possibly the Como billabong) who took fright at the sight of the approaching police and jumped into the billabong and drowned. Paterson was inspired by these tragic tales and linked up all these events to create the song's storyline and the lyrics.
Photo: Men at work in wool shearing shed
While at the station, Banjo frequently heard Bob's sister, Christina Macpherson, play a tune on her zither (sometimes called an autoharp). Banjo liked the " whimsicality and dreaminess" of the melody and thought it would be nice to set some words to it. So it appears that Banjo linked up all these events to create the song's storyline and the lyrics. Christina played the tune on her zither and wrote the musical score.
In an radio interview in 1936, Banjo goes on to say, "Miss Macpherson used to play a little Scottish tune on a zither, and I put words to it and called it 'Waltzing Matilda'."
Evolution of Waltzing Matilda Who Sang Waltzing Matilda First?
Herbert Ramsay was the first person to sing Waltzing Matilda to an audience. Herbert, who was one of the best tenors in the area, sang the song either at Sarah's brother's house or the Post Office Hotel in Winton.
When the Governor of Queensland, Lord Charles Lamington, visited Winton On 25 September 1900, Herbert Ramsey sang the song at a banquet held in the governor's honour at the North Gregory Hotel. The song spread rapidly throughout the district by word of mouth and was an instant hit.
Who Sang Waltzing Matilda First?Oldest Surviving Recording of Waltzing Matilda
First Recording of Waltzing Matilda
The first known audio recording of the song was made in 1926 in London, England by a singer named John Collinson. The recording is barely two minutes long. It almost seems like the singer was rushing through the song to make sure it all fitted in the old-fashioned wax recording disc, which only had a recording capacity of about two and a half minutes. While it can be recognized as Waltzing Matilda, it is interesting to note that this version is different from the one we are familiar with today. There is a subtle but noticeable difference in the melody.
What Waltzing Matilda Originally Sounded Like
How Waltzing Matilda Became Australia's Favourite Song Evolution into Today's Iconic Song
The story of Waltzing Matilda didn't end with Banjo Paterson and Christina Macpherson writing the song and gaining popularity as a bush ballad in the Australian outback. In 1900, Paterson sold the lyrics to what he considered just a minor little ditty, bundled together with several other works, to Angus and Robertson publishers for the princely sum of "five quid" (about A$670). We can only guess that he probably valued the song for about $20.
Photo: Tin of Billy Tea
According to records held by the State Library of New South Wales, James Inglis & Co bought a bundle of lyrics from Angus & Robertson in 1902. In this bundle were the lyrics for Waltzing Matilda. James Inglis & Co was an importer of tea and sold over 680,000 kilos (1.5 million lbs) of tea annually under the "Billy Tea" trademark. They were in search of a catchy tune to promote their tea. Waltzing Matilda, they thought, with some improvement, would be just perfect.
In 1903, Marie Cowan, the wife of the chief accountant working at James Inglis & Co and a gifted musician, was entrusted with improving the original lyrics. Fortunately, Marie had heard the original musical tune composed by Christina McPherson. So, she recomposed the song by changing some of the lyrics to fit the melody better. The sheet music and lyrics were then printed and wrapped around containers of Billy Tea as a promotional gimmick. It wasn't long before the song gained widespread popularity. This version of the song, known as the Marie Cowan version, is the one we hear today.
Waltzing Matilda travelled with Australian troopers to the Boer War and the First World War. It was sung boisterously by Australian soldiers and picked up by troops of other nationalities such as the British and Americans. Before long, it was known throughout the world even though, in most instances, those singing it had no idea where the song originated. For over a century now, it has been a favourite with Australian troops whenever they travel overseas.
Waltzing Matilda is one of those rare songs that hasn't aged. It has been with us for over a century and is still popular today. It is frequently used in major public events. Some say that more Australians know the words to this song than possibly even their national anthem.
Listen to "Waltzing Matilda"Over 700+ Versions of the Song
There are over 700+ different recorded versions of Waltzing Matilda by local and international artists in various genres ranging from classical, country, rock and rock, jazz, and even yodelling. As a result, there are no definitive lyrics or music to the song. The version most often heard today is the Marie Cowan version, which has a cheerful sing-a-long tone to it.
The Queensland/Banjo Patterson version is thought to be the original written by Banjo Paterson and has a definite bush ballad ring to it. Another version, known as the Harry Nathen version, is now lost.
Who Owns the Copyright to "Waltzing Matilda"?
While the original lyrics and melody are in the public domain, some modern arrangements and recordings may have copyright restrictions.
Other Works by Banjo Paterson Australia’s Foremost Bush Poet
The Man from Snowy River — A thrilling poem about a daring horse chase.
Clancy of The Overflow — A city dweller's yearning for the Outback.
Mulga Bill's Bicycle — A humorous tale of an overconfident cyclist.
A Note About This Web Page
This page was originally written in 1997 by Trishan, an eleven-year-old Australian boy and his dad. Over the years, it has remained a top-ranked source of information on "Waltzing Matilda." We've now given it a facelift, adding videos (which didn't exist at the time the page was originally written), music, and historical context while keeping the "look and feel" of the original website. So you will still see Trishan's artwork as it appeared on the original.
Thank you for visiting and enjoy your journey into Australia's musical history!