G
When I was a yCoung man I cGarried my pack
And I lGived the free lDife of a rGover
From the MGurrays green bDasin to the dCusty outbGack
I wGaltzed my MatDilda all Gover
Then in nDineteen fifteen my coCuntry said: G"Son,
It's tDime to stop rambling cos there's wCork to be dGone"
So they gGave me a tCin hat and they gGave me a gun
And they sGent me aDway to the Gwar
And the bGand played WCaltzing MatGilda
As Gwe sailed awCay from the quDay
And amCidst all the tears and the shGouts and the cheers
We sGailed off to GDallipolGi
HGow well I remCember that tGerrible day
When the blGood stained the sDand and the wGater
And wGhen in that tDown that they cCalled Suvla BGay
We were bGutchered like lDambs at the slGaughter
Johnny TDurk he was ready, he priCmed himself wGell
He chaseDd us with bullets, he raCined us with shGells
And in fGive minutes flCat he'd blGown us all to hell
NeGarly blew us right bDack to AustrGalia
And the bGand played WCaltzing MatGilda
As we stGopped to bCury our slDain
And we bCuried ours and the TGurks buried theirs
Then we stGarted all Dover agGain
Now thGose that were lCiving did their bGest to survive
In a mGad world of blDood, death and fGire,
And, for sGeven long weDeks, I kCept myself alGive
But the cGorpses aroDund me piled hGigher
Then a bDig Turkish shell knocked me aCrse over tGit
And whDen I awoke in my hCospital bGed
I saw whaGt it had doCne. Christ ! I wGished I was dead
Never kGnew there were wDorse things than dyGing
For I'lGl go no more wCaltzing MatGilda
All around the grGeen bush fCar and nDear
For to hCump tent and pegs, a mGan needs both legs
No more WGaltzing MatDilda for mGe
So they colleGcted the crCipples, the wounGded, the maimed,
And they shGipped us back hDome to AustrGalia
The lGegless, the aDrmless, the blCind, the insGane,
Those prGoud wounded hDeroes of SuvGla
And aDs our ship pulled into CCircular BGay
I loDoked at the place my lCegs used to Gbe
And thank ChGrist there was Cno one wGaiting for me
To grGieve and to moDurn and to pGity
And the bGand played WCaltzing MatGilda
As they cGarried us dCown the gangwDay
But nCobody cheered, they just stGood and stared
Then they tuGrned all their fDaces awGay
And nGow every ACpril I sGit on my porch
And I wGatch the parDade pass befGore me
I sGee my old cDomrades, how pCroudly they mGarch,
RenewGing old drDeams of past glGory
I sDee the old men march slowly, all bent, sCtiff and sGore
The fDorgotten heroes from a fCorgotten wGar
And the yoGung people asCk: "what are theGy marching for ?"
And I Gask mysDelf the same quGestion
And the bGand played WCaltzing MatGilda
And the oGld men still aCnswer to the cDall
But yCear after year their nGumber gets fewer
Some day no Gone will mDarch there at Gall
WGaltzing Matilda, WCaltzing Matilda
WhGo'll come a-waltzing Matilda with mDe