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"Waltzing Matilda," Lyrics, Text Format

Beginners syncopation, extended range, tonic and
subdominant arpeggios, diminished sixth (d6),
and an introduction to Australian vocabulary.

 

Description

  • Grade: Fifth
  • Origin: Australia – Banjo Paterson, 1895 – (unofficial National Anthem)
  • Key: D Major
  • Time: Common Time (4/4)
  • Form: AB – verse/refrain
  • Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti ta ta | ti ti ti ti ti ti ta |
    | ta ti/ ri ta ti ti | syncopation, | ti ti ta ta ti ti |
    | ta ti ti ta ta | ta ti ti ta (ta) | ta ti/ ri ta ta | syncopation, | ta ti/ ri ta ti/ ri | syncopation,
    | ta ti ti ta ti ti | ta ti ti ta/a |
  • Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do – extended range
  • Intervals: intermediate: Mi\Do\La descending submediant arpeggio (vi,Bm) Do\So (P4), So/Do/Mi/So8ascending tonic arpeggio (I, D), So\Mi (m3), Mi/Do8(d6, diminished sixth)
  • Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; rest: quarter; syncopation, tonic and submediant arpeggios, diminished sixth (d6), two double barlines, vocal slur, melodic rhythm patterns
  • Key Words: world geography: Australia; Australian vocabulary: swag (portable shelter that is rolled (usually with belongings inside) and carried on a person’s back), swagman (temporary worker, who travelled by foot carrying the traditional swag), Matilda (bag carried over one’s back), billabong (backwater river branch/stagnant pool), coolibah tree (Eucalyptus tree), billy (pot for boiling water), jumbuck (sheep), tucker bag (lunch/dinner bag), squatter (temporary landlord); holiday: Halloween; grabbed, glee, stowed, mounted, thoroughbred (horse), catch, ghost; contractions: you’ll (you will), who’s (who is), who’ll (who will), you’ve (you have); abbreviations: camp’d (camped), watch’d (watched)

“Waltzing Matilda” 

1. Once a jolly swagman camp’d by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree.
And he sang as he watch’d and waited till his billy boiled,
“You’ll come a waltzing Matilda, with me.”
Refrain:
“Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.”
And he sang as he watch’d and waited till his billy boiled,
“You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.”
2.
Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up got the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed 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 stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.”
3. Down came the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Up came the troopers, one, two, three,
“Who’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.
Who’s that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?
You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me.”
4. Up got the swagman and jumped into the billabong,
“You’ll never catch me alive,” said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong, “Who’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, “Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?”
Additional Formats (click to enlarge)
music
"Waltzing Matilda," Music Format
beats
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rhythm
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pitch numbers
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solfeggio
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letter names
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