When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of the rover
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback
I walked my Matilda all over
Then in 1950 my country said: "Son
It's time to stop a-ramblin' 'cause there's work to be done"
So they gave me a ticket and they gave me the 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 tears, the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off the Gallipoli
How well I remember that terrible day
When a flood stained the sand and the water
And how in that town that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets and 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, Turks buried theirs
And we started all over again
Now those dead were lot, while we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me out so dead
I woke up next morning in my hospital bed
I saw what I'd done and I wished I was dead
Never knew death were worse thing than dying
For I'll go no more a-waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For hung cannon packs and many its bolt lacks
There is no more Matilda for me
And now every April I sit on me porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I see my old comrades how proudly they march
Renewing the dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes of the forgotten war
And the young people ask what are they marching for
And I ask myself the same question
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Someday no one will march there at all
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard when you pass over Bileban
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?