And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by John Williamson A D A Now when I was a young man I carried me pack E A And I lived the free life of the rover. A D A From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback, E A Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over. B A Then in 1915, my country said, "Son, B A It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done." D A So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun, E A And they marched me away to the war. D A And the band played "Waltzing Matilda," D E As the ship pulled away from the quay, D A And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears, E A We sailed off for Gallipoli. D A And how well I remember that terrible day, E A How our blood stained the sand and the water; D A And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay E A We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter. B A Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well; B A He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell – D A And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell, E A Nearly blew us right back to Australia. D A But the band played "Waltzing Matilda," D E When we stopped to bury our slain, D A Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs, E A Then we started all over again. D A And those that were left, well, we tried to survive E A In that mad world of blood, death and fire. D A And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive E A Though around me the corpses piled higher. B A Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head, B A And when I woke up in me hospital bed D A And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead – E A Never knew there was worse things than dying. D A For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda," D E All around the green bush far and free – D A To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs, E A No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me. D A So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed, E A And they shipped us back home to Australia. D A The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane, E A Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla. B A And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay, B A I looked at the place where me legs used to be, D A And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me, E A To grieve, to mourn and to pity. A D A But the band played "Waltzing Matilda," D E As they carried us down the gangway, D A But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared, E A Then they turned all their faces away. D A And so now every April, I sit on my porch E A And I watch the parade pass before me. D A And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, E A Reviving old dreams of past glory, B A And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore, B A They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war D A And the young people ask "What are they marching for?" E A And I ask meself the same question. D A But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda," D E And the old men still answer the call, D A But as year follows year, more old men disappear E A Someday, no one will march there at all. A D Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda. A D A E Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? A E A D And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong, A D E A Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me? www.TAB6.com