[A] Nowx when I was a [D] xxx young man I [A] carriedx me pack
And I lived the free l[E]ifex of the r[A]over.x
[A]Fromx the Murray's green [D] basinx to the d[A]ustyx outback,
Well, I waltzed my [E] Matildax all ov[A]er.x
Then in 1[B]915,x my co[A]untryx said, "Son,
It's t[B]imex you stop ramblin', there's [A] workx to be done."
So they gave me a ti[D]nxx hat, and they g[A]avex me a gun,
And they marched me a[E]wayx to the [A] war.x
And the band played &qu[D]ot;Waltzi x [A]ngx Matilda,"
As the ship pulled a[D]wayx from the q[E]uay,x
And a[D]midstx all the cheers, the flag w[A]aving,x and tears,
We sailed off for [E] Gallipolx [A] i.x
And how well I re[D]memberx that t[A]erriblex day,
How our blood stained the s[E]andx and the w[A]ater;x
And of how in that h[D]ellx that they c[A]allx Suvla Bay
We were butchered like l[E]ambsx at the sl[A]aughter.x
Johnny T[B]urk,x he was waitin', he p[A]rimedx himself well;
He sh[B]oweredx us with bullets, and he r[A]ainedx us with shell
And in five minutes f[D]lat,x he'd bl[A]ownx us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right b[E]ackx to Au[A]stralia.x
But the band played &qu[D]ot;Waltzin x [A]gxx Matilda,"
When we stopped to b[D]uryx our s[E]lain,x
Well, [D] wex buried ours, and the T[A]urksx buried theirs,
Then we started all o[E]verx ag[A]ain.x
And those that were l[D]eft,x well, we t[A]riedx to survive
In that mad world of b[E]lood,x death and fi[A]re.x
And for ten wea[D]ryx weeks I kept mysel[A]fxx alive
Though around me the co[E]rpsesx piled hig[A]her.x
Then a [B] xxx big Turkish shell knocked me a[A]rsex over head,
And wh[B]enx I woke up in me hos[A]pitalx bed
And saw w[D]hatx it had done, well, I wi[A]shedx I was dead
Never knew there was w[E]orsex things than d[A]ying.x
For I'll go no more &quo[D]t;Waltzin x [A]gxx Matilda,"
All around the green b[D]ushx far and f[E]reex
To hum[D]pxx tents and pegs, a m[A]anx needs both legs,
No more "Waltzin[E]gxx Matilda&[A]quot;x for me.
So they gathered the cri[D]ppled,x the wou[A]nded,x the maimed,
And they shipped us back h[E]omex to Austra[A]lia.x
The armless, the legl[D]ess,x the b[A]lind,x the insane,
Those proud wounded he[E]roesx of Su[A]vla.x
And as ou[B]rxx ship sailed into Circ[A]ularx Quay,
I loo[B]kedx at the place where me l[A]egsx used to be,
And thanked Ch[D]ristx there was nobody wa[A]itingx for me,
To grieve, to m[E]ournx and to p[A]ity.x
[A]Butx the band played &quo [D] t;Waltzingx [A] xxx Matilda,"
As they carried us d[D]ownx the gan [E] gway,x
But [D] xxx nobody cheered, they just st[A]oodx and stared,
Then they turned all their f[E]acesx a[A]way.x
And so now every Ap[D]ril,x I si[A]txx on my porch
And I watch the pa[E]radex pass before [A] xxx me.
And I see my old c[D]omrades,x how pro[A]udlyx they march,
Reviving old dre[E]amsx of past g[A]lory,x
And the [B] oldx men march slowly, all b[A]onesx stiff and sore,
They're ti[B]redx old heroes from a for[A]gottenx war
And the young people a[D]skx "What a[A]rex they marching for'"
And I ask me[E]selfx the same ques[A]tion.x
But the band plays " [D] xxx ;Waltzin[A]gxx Matilda,"
And the old men still an[D]swerx the c[E]all,x
But as [D] yearx follows year, more old [A] menx disappear
Someday, no one will [E] marchx there at [A] xxx all.
[A]Waltzingx Matilda, wa[D]ltzingx Matilda.
[A]Who'llx come a-[D]waltzingx Ma[A]tildax with [E] me'x
And their gh[A]ostsx may be h[E]eardx as they m[A]archx by the bi[D]llabong,x
[A]Who'llx come a-W[D]altzingx M[E]atildax with [A] me'x
