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Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"


Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole
Up jumped a swagman and grabbed him in glee
And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".


Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbred
Up rode the Trooper - one, two, three
"Where's that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".


But the swagman he up and jumped in the water hole
Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree,
And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"


A.B. (Banjo) Paterson

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Billabong - A waterhole.back

Billy - A can or small kettle used to boil water for tea.back

Coolabah tree - A type of native tree in Australlia.back

Jumbuck - A sheep. There are 20 times as many sheep as there are people in Australia.back

Squatter - At one time, squatters claimed (seized) land for themselves in addition to land that they had been granted. Eventually through the continuous occupation of the land, their claims were legitimized in the eye of the law.back

Swagman - Someone who lives on the open road. A hobo. The term came from the canvas bag that they would carry their bedroll and/or belongings in.back

Trooper - In Australia's early days, there was no police force. The colony was protected by and policed by soldiers and even when a police force was eventually formed, they were still referred to as 'troopers'.back

Tucker bag - A bag for storing food in the bush.back


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