The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And 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 nineteen fifteen the country said, son
It's time to stop ramblin', there's work to be done
And they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As our ship pulled away from the key
And amid all the tears, the flag-waving and cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

'Tis well I remember that terrible day
The blood stained the sand and the water
... We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk, he was ready, he primed himself well
He rained us with bullets and showered us with shells
And in ten minutes flat we were all blown to hell
Nearly blew us back home 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

Now those that were left, we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
While around me the death count grew higher
Then a big turkish shell knocked me arse over head
And when I awoke in my hospital bed
I saw what it had done and wished I were dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
Around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs both legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me

They collected the wounded, the crippled, the maimed
And sent us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
The ... wounded heroes of Suvla
And as we pulled in to Circular Key
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thanked Christ there was no one there waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood there and stared
And turned all their faces away

And now every April I sit on my porch
And watch the parade pass before me
I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
... of past glory
... all tired, sick and sore
The forgotten heroes of a forgotten war
And the young people ask "what are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
But year after year their numbers grow fewer
Soon no one will march there at all

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts can be heard
As you pass by the billabong
Who'll come waltzing Matilda with me?

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