WALTZING  MATILDA

Time signature:  4/4
Tempo: ~  100 bpm  (moderate).
 Lyrics by the Australian poet Banjo Paterson (1895).
​Melody from Christina Macpherson based on the "Craigielee March" tune which was itself based on "Thou Bonnie Wood of Craigielee" by Scottish composer James Barr (1818).
The song is about an itinerant Australian worker (swagman) travelling on foot (waltzing) with his belongings in a sheet or swag (his Matilda) slung over his back, camping beside a deep watering hole (billabong), boiling his tea kettle (billy), and capturing & killing a stray sheep (jumbuck), storing some in his food bag (tucker bag) and jumping into the billabong to escape the property owner (squatter) and the law  ...  from Wikipedia.
Return to BA2 - Unit 6
Accordion Notation           In spite of its title, this is not a waltz tune
Beats per bar =  4
Beat symbol  =   Dot ( . ) or equivalent      
  
Inside row (low)  =  Buttons  2 to 6  plus  o3*

Verse 1 (of 4) - Part 1

|   "4   "4*  "4  "4       .3*   .3*   |   "3  "3*   "4  "3    "o3*  "2*   .3     |
​ Once  a    jol - ly  swag-man   camped   by  a      bill -  a - bong

 .2  "3     "4      .5      "5  "5   |    "5   "4*  .5      .5
Un-der  the  shade  of   a       cool - i - bah  tree,

  "3   "3*   |   .4     "4  "4         .3*       .3*   |    "3  "3*  "4   "3   "o3* "2*    .3      |
And  he     sang  as  he  watched  and     wait-ed   'til  his    bil - ly  boiled

  .2         "3    "4    .5    "4*   "4   |  .3* "3*    "3*    :3     |
You'll  come  a-Waltz-ing   Ma -  til - da,  with  me.


Verse 1 - Part 2     (A variable chorus with only the 3rd line different in each case)

              .5    "5    "5    .5    .4   |    .6    "6    "6    .6*   .5*   |
          Waltz-ing  Ma - til - da,    Waltz-ing  Ma - til - da

              .5       "5    "5      .5*   "5    "5   |  .5   "4*   "4      .3*
          You'll  come  a - Waltz-ing   Ma - til - da,   with  me

            "3   "3* |   .4   "4   "4         .3*      .3*   |  "3  "3*  "4  "3   "o3*  "2*   .3     |
          And  he  sang  as  he watched  and    wait-ed  'til  his  bil - ly  boiled,

             .2         "3   "4    .5   "4*    "4   |  .3*  "3*   "3*    :3    |
          You'll  come  a-Waltz-ing   Ma -  til - da,  with  me.

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

16 videos in various keys:  Bb,B,C=1        B=2     C=2     C,Db=1     C,Db,D,Eb=1     D=6
                                           Gb,G,Ab=1     G=2    
Key:  D 

Singer:  Slim Dusty

​Posted by:  Slim Dusty

The late Slim Dusty, (David) Gordon Kirkpatrick, (1927 - 2003)  was a cultural icon in Australian music.
Key:  Eb

Singer: Rolf Harris

​Posted by:  ​8788q

Music begins at time 1:12

Follows the melody, but not the rhythm, shown in the accordion notation above.
Good explanation of the Australian bush "slang" at the beginning.
Key:  G

Accordionist:  Lester Bailey

Posted by:  Lester Bailey

Instrumental on a DG Erica
Key:  C  from time 0 to 1:52
         Db from 1:53 to 2:36
         D  from 2:37 to  2:57
         Eb from 2:58 to End
         
Singers:   Sydney Conservatorium
                Chorale
​
Orchestra:  Sydney Youth Orchestra with
                   Tommy Tycho

​Posted by:  Ian Berwick
Key:  C

Performers:  Hector (on toy accordion)
                     and Betty (on ukelele)

​Posted by:  Hector Awol
Key:   Bb from time 0 to 1:30
          B   from 1:31 to 2:17
​          C   from 2:18 to End

Singer:  Judith Durham
​
​Group:  The Seekers

Posted by:  Proculledtwo

​The 1994 AFL Grand Final in Meldourne, Australia.
Key:  D

Group:   Andre Rieu and Orchestra

Posted by:  Andre Rieu
​
Key:   D 

Singers:  John Schumann, Wendy
​                Matthews & Brian Cadd

Posted by: wendymatthewsmusic

Australia Day 2009

the "sung" portions more or less follow the melody of the accordion notation above, but with a slightly different rhythm.

Some of the fillers and ending give a tune a bit of a "jazz" feeling.
Key:  C  from time 1:38 to 3:16
         Db from 3:17 to End at 3:57
          
Singer:  Johnny Cash

​Posted by:  Johnny Cash Infocenter

Music begins at time 1:38

After a lengthy introduction, the final verse and chorus are omitted.
Key:  D

Group:  The Irish Rovers

Posted by: Jessica Brandsma

Music begins at time 0:50

Their melody for Part 1 of each verse doesn't match the accordion notation above;  however Part 2 does match.
Key:  D

Singer:   Tommy Emmanuel

​Posted by:  kristijanvg

Music begins at time 1:27

​
Key:   Gb (or F#) from time 0  to 1:11
          G    from 1:12 to 1:44
          Ab  from 1:45 to End

Singer:  Jimmie Rodgers

Posted by:  keoki82
Key:  B

Animation by Shaun McKinnon

Posted by: Shaun
Key:  D  

Singer:  Mirusia Louwerse

​Posted by: Andre Rieu
Key:  C

Accordionist:  Hector Awol

Posted by:  Hector Awol

​Note the change in rhythm
Key:  G

Performer:  ?

Posted by:  gkok1000

A GD Scholller Anglo concertina









​
Background Materials, Information & Links
​Lyrics:
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
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
              Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
              You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
               And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,
              You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
​​
Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
          Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
          You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
          And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
          You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
          Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
          You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
          Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?,
          You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
​
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
You'll never catch me alive", said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
          Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
          You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
          And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
          You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
          Oh, You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.
Background Links:
Click HERE for additional (wikipedia) info about this song.

Click HERE  for biographical info (wikipedia) on Andrew ("Banjo") Paterson (Andrew Barton Paterson, CBE)

Click HERE for a youTube tune comparison of "Thou Bonnie Woods of Craigielea" and "Waltzing Matilda".  After the introduction, the music (in key of C) begins at time 0:57
​
Click HERE ​for information (wikipedia) about Slim Dusty.