The intro to my videos are always done before watching the video. I don't think the lyrics lend themselves to a national anthem! 🤣

@matthewcharles5867

2 жыл бұрын

Matilda is just a slang name for ya swag. The Queensland version is better. Jumbuck = sheep. Tucker bags were usually made from old sugar bags about the size of a ww1 sandbag. Trooper = cops. Sqatters done the same on large tracts of land. The bushwackers do the best version of the Queensland varient. He stole the sqatters sheep and instead of being taken by the Trooper s he drowned himself in the river.

@mrd4785

2 жыл бұрын

What do you mean? Its got all the good stuff and it would be unique. I could just imagine lining up for the socceroos and some foreign guy having to sign a song about livestock theft that spiraled very suddenly towards suicide to avoid punishment. I could just see the confusion on the other team's faces 😆 Its a little bit weird how our ancestors decided that this should be the song we sing when we're in the mood to celebrate.

@flamingfrancis

2 жыл бұрын

The Wallabies would disagree. One of the highlights of their games used to be the performance of WM by legendary John Williamson just prior to the commencement of a Test match. Our very own "Swing Low Sweet Chariot"

@Quinctili

2 жыл бұрын

50% of people MUST be below average intelligence, that's how averages work. It will be that lower percentage who don't know what an anthem is, does or represents. Waltzing Matilda is actually an old German tune, using Australian idiom and words about a sheep thief, a loser who kills himself. No, it's not an anthem. It's nothing like an anthem. It's not inspiring, uplifting, it doesn't represent the people and their achievements, their hope and future growth. This is just an old folk song using plaguerised music from another country. IT'S NOT AN ANTHEM. It's a folk song.

@scottmcphee2076

2 жыл бұрын

😀Waltzing Matilda is about stealing and defying authority figures, Some have joked that given our convict history the song says a lot about what shaped Australia’s national character.

In early settlement times, people were given squatters' rights on a piece of land which meant they owned and worked there. The poacher has stolen one of the squatter's sheep and the squatter calls the cops. Waltzing Matilda - the way the bag bounces around on your back when walking and the bag's nickname (female of course!) is Matilda. When the cops arrest him they say YOU'LL come a-waltzing Matilda with ME! Off to the gaol. But he won't be taken alive, etc.

@sandrarobinson3266

2 жыл бұрын

Great explainer for Rob, I was slack told him to see the online explainers and history for song, and the Connection to The Band played Waltzing Matilda if Labor does not change Anthem when we have our Referendum, people will be unhappy

@lisaas4477

2 жыл бұрын

No, the anthem should be I am Australian

@Bellas1717

2 жыл бұрын

@@lisaas4477 Yes, I agree, but I think it should be called "We Are Australian" to show inclusivity...fifth verse and double chorus for short version. That will remind we city dwellers that the bush and outback deserve protection.

@Misshowzat

2 жыл бұрын

Robinson yer dreamin

@johnklumpp7901

2 жыл бұрын

Almost there with the title. . . the Swagman (hobo; travelling worker) has named his Swag (bedroll) Matilda. The swag is his only "companion", and he treats it as a "feminine" companion. When he's walking the tracks (dirt, of course) the Swag sways from side to side with each of his steps. So he describes the side-to-side motion of his swag (named Matilda) as a waltzing (motion) . . . i.e., "Matilda" is waltzing along with him as he walks the tracks. A Billabong is the name given to a water-filled crescent, which was formerly a bend in a stream (winding watercourse), but which has been made separate as the stream forged a shorter (more straight) course. The Coolabah is a species of Eucalyptus, with the trees growing well on the bank of watercourses . . even a former section of a stream, because of the water supply. This tree is likely to have dense foliage and so be a good source of shade. The Billy here is a substitute for a Teapot, or even a stove-pot, with a wire handle at the rim that can be secured at the base of his swag while travelling- then suspended over a fire- and which makes a handle to pour out the boiling water. He would have a separate tin (enamel) mug for his tea. (I was more upmarket when I camped with a motorcycle back in the seventies- my own "Billy" had a lid, and a builtin spout. I boiled water to make up my packet Mashed Potatos, and then boiled it again to make coffee. I also had one of those compact gas burners, instead of a wood fire.) The chorus changes in wording, can be pictured as the others mocking the swagman's treatment of his swag . . his bedroll. That is, he won't have his swag for a companion - he will now have the Troopers (colonial mounted police) as "companions" as he's taken to the magistrate, - walking at the end of a rope attached to one of the troopers' horses- with gaol likely to be his final destination . . . for some good few years. So the swagman chooses to drown himself . . . a drastic alternative to incarceration.

Matilda is his swag and he waltzes with her thru his journey

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

Hello Adam good point…You are right in that a Matilda is a name for a swag 👍🏻

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

Well said 👍🏻

Checkout Peter Allen’s original version of “I still call Australia home” and the Seekers version of “We are Australian”. This are a true representation of Australian culture.

@grahamwright588

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Rob, you should do a video on both of these songs in one segment. You will be heart feld with them.

@utha2665

2 жыл бұрын

@@grahamwright588 He's already reacted to I Still Call Australia Home as a QANTAS ad. I too have suggested We Are Australian, I think this recognises the multiculturalism that represents our country.

Squatters became the upper class very rich sheep farmers because they took over the land which they didn’t actually pay for but with implied government approval (the squattocracy). The squatter owned the sheep which the swagman stole. When the troopers came the swagman drowned himself rather than be caught. Mathilda is what he named his swag.

The national anthem should be “I am Australian” a great song by The Seekers. It perfectly sums up the country’s past and who we are. You should check it out.

@julzhunt7790

2 жыл бұрын

I agree

@brendonrookes1151

2 жыл бұрын

exactly i love this song makes my eyes water

@andytaus1939

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree.

@larainecurry4566

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely l totally agree

@scotterw

2 жыл бұрын

agreed

I watched the one with the Australian troops marching and singing this song. I had tears in the first 30 seconds. As an Australian Dutch patriot I will defend this country and my family even if it will take my life !

@SxVaNm345

2 жыл бұрын

I feel the same way as an Italian Australian, We are all proud Australian patriots lucky to be living in such a beautiful country.

@personofearth5076

Сағат бұрын

The Dutch also discovered Australia so you are an Australian through and through.

That's a 'no'. 'I am Australian' by The Seekers is a much better and more current song that embraces everybody.

Hi Rob, you have a pretty good handle of most of the terms. Yes, swagmen were kind of travellers: men who travelled across the countryside looking for work. Swag is a kind of waterproof bedding that you roll up and carry on your back (still in use today, but usually go in the back of the ute than on your back) and also would have contained his possessions. He is referring to his swag as Matilda, and he is waltzing it because it goes wherever he goes (or perhaps he was missing female company!). A billabong is a part of a winding river that gets cut off when the river changes course and forms a sort of swampy pond. I think they are called oxbow lakes in the rest of the world. Coolibah or coolabah is a type of eucalyptus, or gum tree and also the brand name of cheap white wine that came in a cask. Billy is more like a tin with a handle in which you brew your tea or perhaps cook food. The jumbuck is a sheep (you are correct). He has stolen it from the squatter and shoved (commonly used in the song rather than stowed) it in his tucker bag which is where you keep your food (tuck shop, as you mention, is a place where you buy food at school and there is a famous statue of the Dog on the Tuckerbox "5 miles from Gundagai", as the poem says); you are correct. Not sure if he is supposed to have killed it, though. A squatter is someone who has taken possession of the land. The land wouldn't have belonged to anyone else before then (this was in the days of "Terra Nullius", where the law did not consider the Aborigines to have had any rights to the land). Squatters were encouraged at the time to settle and farm the land and they were often subsequently granted ownership of what would have been hitherto Crown land. They often became quite wealthy. So, a bit different to those we refer to as squatters now. The squatter would have owned the sheep that the swagman has stolen. I don't think the troopers killed the swagman; he jumped into the billabong and drowned. I think the song is the embodiment of the little Aussie battler, up against the authorities and powerful people, trying to eke out a living and then defying authority and determining his own fate. Even though this doesn't really reflect most modern Australians' experience, it is part of our mythology and national character. There was an opportunity for Waltzing Matilda to become the National Anthem. A plebiscite was held in 1977 to decide between God Save the Queen, Advance Australia Fair, Waltzing Matilda and The Song of Australia (don't know anything about this one). The result was Advance Australia Fair 43%, Waltzing Matilda 28%, God Save the Queen 19% and The Song of Australia 10%. Personally, I think Waltzing Matilda has the best tune, but you couldn't really use the current words for a national anthem. Other more recent songs that could be contenders: We Are Australians, I Come from a Land Downunder or Great Southern Land.

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

Nicely said 👍🏻🇦🇺

@tarastomann4271

2 жыл бұрын

I come from land down under... where beer does flow and men chunder 🤣 I think they would need to be very selective of the words in that song. 🤣

@michaelfink64

2 жыл бұрын

@@WesleyMediaHub Thanks

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

@@michaelfink64 👍🏻

@garryjones2609

Жыл бұрын

Waltzing Matilda was written in 1895, so the little Aussie battler would not have been about then.

No I've always thought the Australian anthem should be "I still call Australia home" or "I am Australian"

@Bellas1717

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, totslly agree, but I think it should be called "We Are Australian" because then the whole message is inclusivity.

Yes, Yes, and Yes! I know as a Canadian my vote doesn’t count. I am 76 now and one of the first songs I learned in Grade one from my Canadian school song book was “Waltzing Matilda”. I have loved it ever since. To me it is Australia. Many years ago, I was watching the World Figure Skating Championships. A young man representing Australia skated to it and it brought tears to several eyes, because he skated it with such pride for his country. I wish I could remember his name, he was a red head and very talented.

@TheMyfanwy100

2 жыл бұрын

I’m an Aussie and I’d love to know how and why Canadians are taught Aussie song in school? I figure there might be some overlap in our colonial language and guessing that Canada probably had troopers and Squatters at roughly the same time period. And what other Aussie songs you were taught at school?

@cheryla7480

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheMyfanwy100 I’m sure there were others , but that was some 70 years ago, and my memory isn’t as good anymore. Also I don’t think schools here have the song books anymore, I believe we used them all through elementary school. We also had a lot of English, Welsh, and Scottish songs. A lot of it was because we are in the Commonwealth, also back then we were a Dominion, we didn’t even have a national anthem nor flag. We sang “The Maple Leaf Forever” and “ God Save the King”. Our flag was a Union Jack top left corner ( like yours) on a red background with a crest bottom right corner.. I just remembered, we did have a lot of American songs also in that book like “ The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, “ Shanondoah” etc. also the French “Alouette”. WOW the memories!

It's pretty much singing about a sheep theif that gets caught in the act by the farmer and police and drowns himself

My vote is for "I Am Australian"

The USMC 1st Marine Division adopted Waltzing Matilda as their Marching Song following their R&R in Melbourne following the Battle of Guadalcanal.

No way the national anthem should be "We are Australian" by the seekers

@adanianking

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve been saying this for years!!!! I love that song. Rob needs to check it out if he hasn’t!!!

@user-bf8ud9vt5b

2 жыл бұрын

Vomit.

@DarthAwar

2 жыл бұрын

I still call Australia Home by Peter Allan I am Australian by The Seekers Land Down Under by Men at work Are all awesome choices

@shaz464

2 жыл бұрын

Agree

@rossalynsmith5253

2 жыл бұрын

@darthawzr you got the two songs wrong way round. I still call Australia home by Peter Allen and the other one is by the seekers

also look up Adam Hills Australian Anthem. Working class man to the tune of Australia Fair should be our national anthem.

@Rastusmishka12

2 жыл бұрын

Now that is awesome!!

This song is important but I think ‘We are Australian” should be our anthem. Squatters were people who settled illegally on crown land way back in the day and some became quite wealthy, but when that crown land was sold to free settlers it caused issues which lead to land reforms. You might want to look up “Squattocracy Australia” to learn a bit more about it as it’s quite an interesting part of our history.

@tarastomann4271

2 жыл бұрын

And the ironic thing is that it the crown stole it off aboriginal people. I am Australian should be our anthen as it is the most inclusive. It's first lyrics are about the aboriginal people ehoch is highly appropriate and accurate since the were the first Aussies. For a song of its age, it has stood the test of time very well.

@cafra11972

2 жыл бұрын

@@tarastomann4271 Absolutely!

@Bellas1717

2 жыл бұрын

@@tarastomann4271 Yes, but it should be changed to be called "We Are Australian, the title itself being more inclusive. But it's very long, so I think the last verse and single/double chorus would be great for a short version.

Troopers were mounted police and squatters were people who settled land illegally but who became very rich from their land. So, therefore, had lots of power with authority in other words they became the landed gentry. You did pretty well with your interpretation from what I know, maybe others can help you with the Matilda part and yes, the jumbuck was a sheep, and obviously one of the squatters. All in all well-done mate.

@brendonrookes1151

2 жыл бұрын

he got the way the dude died wrong he drowned him self

@yaaqobhabursi8491

2 жыл бұрын

Squatters weren't illegal though - it was the swagman stealing the jumbuck who broke the law.

@grahamejohn6847

2 жыл бұрын

@@yaaqobhabursi8491 Squatters were illegal settlers initially, hence them being called SQUATTERS.They only became legitimate through having lots of money and buying their way to legitimacy, especially with the corrupt police. Look up Ned Kelly if you don't understand that,

The 1st Division US Marines adopted ‘Waltzing Matilda’ as their own since WW2 when stationed in Australia. The Southern Cross is included on their 1st Marine Division patch

Great effort Rob, you got most of it right. The squatter was the land owner and he was upset that his sheep got killed, so basically he called the cops. I believe waltzing is travelling by foot and Matilda was slang of the day for his swag.

@davidskinner274

2 жыл бұрын

Correct on all counts

🔹️ • Swagman, a transient labourer who travels in order to gain employment. The swag is his bag. Makes sense really, since swag & bag both rhyme. • A Billy is an open pot that looks like an oversized tin can. ( A Cylindrical pot ) A primitive version of a kettle. • A billabong is like a small natural pool of fresh water or pond.

We had this referrendum in the late 70's from God Save The Queen to Advance Australia Fair - Well Waltzing Matilda is all about stealing LOL

@Rottnwoman

2 жыл бұрын

At least we got rid of God Save the Queen! A vast improvement.

@scottmcphee2076

2 жыл бұрын

Another contender was God Bless Australia. This is sung to the tune of Waltzing Matilda. The song was written by Jack O’ Hagan, composer of The Road to Gundagai.

@matthewbrown6163

2 жыл бұрын

@@scottmcphee2076 I think I was about 5 then & recall dad choosing Waltzing Matilda

Well done Rob. You understood a lot of it. 👍🏼🇦🇺

Interestingly Banjo Patterson wrote this only a few hours away from where I live here in Central Qld. If memory serves me correctly he was smitten with Christina Macpherson, the daughter of a weather squatter. Her father thought he wasn't good enough for her though & nipped the romance in the bud. She was playing piano one day an old Scottish air "Bonny Craigilea" while he staying with the family. He had heard the recent story of a German chap who had drowned in the area. He married the tune & the tragedy into Waltzing Matilda. There are two distinct versions of this iconic song, the one you were reacting to & another with a chorus between the verses. This is also known as the Qld version & I believe was the original. All up a good attempt at translating the lyrics. Not sure if this next bit is correct or not but years ago I heard that Jumbuck is a translation of jump-up. This a word that some indigenous people called sheep. Sort of make sense when you think about it

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

What an excellent reply Robert 👍🏻Very informative and extremely interesting not to mention very well explained. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏻I hope Rob reads your comment. Wes WMH 🇦🇺

@robertclothier3597

2 жыл бұрын

@@WesleyMediaHub thank you for your kind comment. Lots of typos in my post cos I keyed it too quickly. Errata wealthy NOT weather squatter & corruption of jump-up not translation but think the meaning & intention was clear 😁. My bad. Sorry all

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

@@robertclothier3597 All good Robert We all make slight typos here and there 👍🏻However, Your interesting story and overall explanation still stand’s as exceedingly brilliant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏻Well done mate. Wes WMH

@Rottnwoman

2 жыл бұрын

A "weather squatter"? What did he do - sit on a cloud?

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

@@Rottnwoman lol that’s funny Sue 🤣👍🏻

I am Australian by the Seekers gets my vote. I've even watched non-Australians shed a tear when watching it.

My vote is for I am Australian by the Seekers. It acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and tells a better story of our history than Waltzing Matilda.

@procrasin1

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed 👍

@liviniaflorisson3484

2 жыл бұрын

I’ll second that, it’s a brilliant song. Waltzing Matilda, although iconic, is just nonsense.

@Bellas1717

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, but I think it should be called "We Are Australian" to be more inclusive. The song would be perfect, the fifth verse and double chorus for the short version.

My late parents were both huge fans of Country Music Legend Slim Dusty, and I was also lucky enough to see him live a couple of times. My favorite version of Waltzing Matilda was at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. There had been a cast of thousands, with Aussie bands and singers like Kylie Minogue. Cinema was celebrated with Paul Hogan, a Strictly Ballroom sequence and even the Priscilla bus! Sport was represented by Greg Norman and Bondi life savers, it had it all!! But the finalie was given to Slim Dusty, who after the thousands of singers and dancers and performers, simply walked out with only his guitar and wearing his signature hat. EVERYONE in the stadium sang Waltzing Matilda with him, I still get a tear in the eye.

Seekers “We are Australian” probably should be The band played waltzing matilda ~ Also another song you should listen to.

Matilda is a reference yo the swag over the shoulder

I personally believe that “We Are Australian” should be the national anthem. It recognises the Aboriginal people and their connection to the land, as well as everyone in Australia from different background. It doesn’t matter where we come from or how we got here, we are all Australian.

@Bellas1717

2 жыл бұрын

Problem is that the song is very long, but the fifth verse onwards would work well when a shorter version was required.

@lisaas4477

2 жыл бұрын

The lyrics need a slight change from 40000 yrs to 80000 yrs but totally agree

Rob when you get to Australia in particular Melbourne you need to go to Melbourne Central. There is a giant pocket watch which plays Waltzing Matilda on the hour. In addition to that the pocket watch contains a little surprise which I will leave for you to find out. I saw it in 1997 and I can still remember what it looks like till this day.

Squatting for land was a way to claim/own land. The squatter was the landowner, who owned the sheep.

Swagman was an itinerant worker. Most of the itinerant workers were German, Matilda as someone said in the comments is the worldly possessions. The jumbuck is a dead sheep, squatter was a landowner.

Hi Rob. Matilda is a bushman's bundle of personal belongings. Tucker bag, is a lunch box.

No should be i am Australian

I'll add to the votes for "I am Australian" to be the anthem. When you see some countries tearing themselves apart over their differences (cough...Brexit... cough ... what the hell is happening to you USA....) it is a beautiful song about what unites us and celebrates our differences. Also Rob you didn't get the best version of Waltzing Matilda. Try this one: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iZuA1tx9Zq3ek6Q.html

There is a clock in Melbourne Central that plays the tune to this song at the top of every hour. Good to check out when you're here. Also another great Aussie song you should listen to is True Blue by John Williamson. A song about what it is to be an Aussie.

It's slang for travelling by foot (waltzing) and the matilda can be his swag. pretty much everything else you got right, and yes a jumbuck is a sheep

Its about a swaggie stealing a lamb, dancing with his swag (matilda) and jumping into the pond when he was caught by the troopers.

More Aussies know the words to Waltzing Matilda,than our national anthem.

@TheNakedWombat

2 жыл бұрын

Australia has a national anthem? LOL

Mate he was squatting on someone's land, stole someone's sheep 🐑, was gonna eat the sheep. But the owners called the troops about the squatter but when they came to investigate, instead of be questioned he decided to jump into the lake and drown. And people want this to be our national anthem. Yes it's catchy. But no thanks on the changing of the anthem.

@Floury_Baker

2 жыл бұрын

The squatter was the landowner, no the swagman.

@Rottnwoman

2 жыл бұрын

BORING!

Jumbuck is a lamb. Billabong is Aaboriginal For the water hole created by meandering river bends during heavy rains, the crescents of the bends fill with water as the river falls back to its natural course leaving outer water holes, some are permanent, some dry up.

Hello Rob… first I’d like to say good attempt at explaining or analysing this song… Just run you through a few meanings and explanations if I may. Matilda = Swag; Swag = rolled up sleeping mat (usually also containing some other essential items such as cup (Billy)Squatter = Land Owner (typically grant’s of land and few sheep were given to ex convicts on the date of release from “time served as a convict” by the governor(Crown)of the land in order for people to explore and settle in Australia) Sheep = Jumbuck Trooper = Police Officer Note: Theft or unlawful possession of property (ie;Sheep) given by the crown to an ex convict to settle the land was punishable by death) okay so imagine you were dropped out of a plane today in the middle of nowhere and so you could do nothing else but wander around probably starving hungry and you wandered on to a property owners land and because a property can be as large as 20 km in circumference it’s not like you were saved at that point…you see a body of water and so you have a drink then you see a sheep wandered up to have a drink as well… Again it is survival conditions… You are in the middle of nowhere with no food and no other way to survive and dinner walks up to you… Obviously you are going to take advantage of the situation. Then suddenly the police arrive because in the day mounted police were roaming the land trying to keep some sort of law and order… And you are caught. The squatter i.e. landowner is present as well. You know this is punishable by death and even though you’re not suicidal you do not see any other option at the time… other than to make a statement in spite and at least not give them the satisfaction of taking you into custody for simply trying to survive. We are talking about one of the most harsh environments in the world and “that is today right now” So if you can just imagine way back in the beginnings… in the pioneer days just how hard and harsh this big brown land was that we live in 🇦🇺 Australia. Nigel Robert Wesley. WMH

Andrew "Banjo" Paterson, one of our earliest and famous writers, composed this as a poem around 1895 after he had been in Queensland for the famous 1891 shearer's strike. Find the great song called 1891 (Bushwackers) It was set to music by Christina Macpherson whose parents Banjo had stayed with while writing about the strike. Much of the lingo is straight out of the shearer's dictionary. Swaggies were mostly shearers who travelled the sheds looking for work. Hard lives in those times. In his despair the swaggie had rounded up a meal in the form of a jumbuk, which is what sheep were called. The term comes from the manner sheep react when released after being shorn. So this is about a sheep thief ("duffer") who is caught by the troopers 1,2,3 (coppers) but decides to jump in the billabong nary to be seen again.(Billabong incidentally is the remains of a former course / elbow of a river that has changed its' course over many years. Given the circumstances it will never be our national anthem, the upper crust of society simple would not wear it and it's not really apppropriate in any case. There are other versions of the music...one called the Queensland version, recorded by the Seekers, can be found on YT.

No way we are Australian by the Seekers that should be our Anthem

Got to react to We Are Australian

Matilda was the name of his bag that had all of his belongings in it, I believe. And the squatter approaches him with troopers (either soldiers or police depending on when this takes place) to confront the swagman and asks where the jumbuck (sheep) is and to arrest him for sheep theft probably, the swagman says "You'll never take me alive" and tries to run away and the troopers shoot him down.

In the early days many farm areas were taken by people just by taking owner ship not purchase, thus squatter.

You are now officially an Aussie👌🤣 you nailed the interpretation

@RobReacts1

2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad I got it mostly right!!

love the Ozzie Man tee shirt Rob

Waltzing Matilda was nominated among those tunes proposed when the referendum on the anthem was held. It lost to Advance Australia Fair which I'd never heard of until then. It was not MY choice. Swagman - a hobo. Billabong - a deep pool of water. Billy - a small tin with a handle for boiling water or cooking food. Waltzing Matilda is his companion as he goes on his trails. Jumbuck - sheep (jUmbuck - not jAm). Tuckerbag - food bag, knapsack. Tucker means food. Troopers - colonial police. Squatter - landowner. Basically, a hobo stopped at a waterhole for a drink, saw a sheep and killed it so he could eat for days to come. The landowner and troopers realized the sheep was missing and came after him. He chose to drown himself in the deep water rather than be caught and hung.

Squatyers were the early form of land owners. A jumbuck is a sheep. A swagman were commonly homeless moving continuously from property to property to find work and lived on the land between work. Matilda is his kit, swag, bag etc. The song is asking you to come be a traveller with him. Although there were legal provisions for eating a landowners/squatters sheep (even today) legally it was only in a time of desperation and this song is about him stealing a sheep to feed him on his travels. That should cover it I think

Billabong refers to the cutoff bow in rivers, largely leaving a pond cutoff from river flow mainly except in flooding.

If it’s going to change, I think “I am Australian “ by Seekers should be. It includes everyone including the land and sea itself

Well done Rob! You worked out about 99% of it, you can probably get a scout badge for that... maybe a Ventures or Rovers ;-)

Early Australian Squatters basically went out of the colonies and er... "Found" land (aka: drove the Aboriginals away) and then the Colonial Government basically ... treated it as if those Squatters now owned the land by being the first (british) people to be there. Technically crown land, but they owned all the sheep, buildings and fences etc they put there so it essentially defaulted to being their land. "Squatters" in that they didn't actually buy the land, but lived there and essentially got rights to the land because they got there first and could defend it (with guns, instead of spears)

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

Cool explanation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏻WMH Team 🇦🇺

Matilda is the name that was giving to a swag as he marched alone

Usure what date yr vid is but Waltzing Matilda is for me is the Australia's National Anthem , “I still call Australia home” , Iam Australian ,et al are just very good mod (pop) songs.Histrory has shown us that WE (Aust) could have been French ,Dutch or Portuguese speaing , added to that all the associated problems with that eg Vanuatu , Brasil etc.Just as as an intrest although Go save the King has been around since about 1744 there's a fine violin piece written by Niccolò Paganini called Go save the king , it"s also worth learning to play( check out youtube performances)

A billibong us usually U or cresent shape that used to be part of a river, after huge flooding the course of the river changed leaving a still body of water. Waltzing Matilda was a poem original pend by A.B (Bango) Patterson in the mid to early 1800's.. in the late 1800's to very early 1900's & sung by the ANZAC's on their way to WW1

Hi Rob, in very simple terms a traveller (swagman) was on a sheep farm that he did not own (squatter) and stole a sheep for food. Sheep theft was a big crime so the troopers (police) were called. The swagman was too proud to be captured so jumped into the billabong and died (not many could swim). Basically life in the outback was tough. The man against the system.

A "Matilda" is the style of Swag (aka, mat/blanket, wrapped on a stick to turn into a bag) Waltzing Matilda is to "dance" with the bag. aka travel around with it. I guess a Matilda does tend to swing around when one walks, so it looks like it's Dancing. "Let's go Waltzing Matilda" basically "Let's travel around the country with our bag" Often living out in the open, camping on the side of the road/randomly in the bush etc in a different spot every night.

Back in the day there was an unwritten law in the outback that said that a swagman could kill a sheep if he was starving and needed food BUT he could not take any of the sheep with him, he could only have what he could eat there and had to leave the rest behind when he moved on. This is why the squatter asked about the sheep he had in his tucker bag, that was illegal because he intended taking it with him when he moved on.

A hobo, stealing a sheep and then commiting suicide rather than getting arrested, and then haunting a pond. Yes, this an Australian song.

Matilda is his swag... but also the name of my youngest child. I read in the news the UK is heading into a heat wave... that your highest recorded temp of 38. something degrees will likely be toppled... and the old me would have been like, ugh, get a grip and come and try 46 degrees in a 9 day stretch over 40.... but you have educated me about how the heat is different, how the house etc are built differently.... so, I will instead say, stay cool, drink water and keep an eye on your elderly neighbours and grandparents

@WesleyMediaHub

2 жыл бұрын

Great post Samantha ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏻WMH Team

Matilda is a swagman's bundle.

I think the fifth verse onwards of "I Am Australian" by the Seekers, renamed to We Are Australian to show inclusivity, would be a great national anthem. I'm the hot wind from the desert I'm the black soil of the plains I'm the mountains and the valleys I'm the drought and flooding rains I am the rock, I am the sky The rivers when they run The spirit of this great land I am Australian We are one, but we are many And from all the lands on earth we come We'll share a dream and sing with one voice "I am, you are, we are Australian"

Not an ‘official’ anthem, but great song for many occasions. Slim Dusty performed it to close the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

The music to "Waltzing Matilda" is stirring and great, but the lyrics would have to be rewritten for it to be a genuine candidate as an anthem. The Seekers' " I am, you are, we are Australian" would be a better choice.

Listening to Slim Dusty perform this was something special to behold

The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) with one's belongings in a "matilda" (swag) slung over one's back. The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker, or "swagman", making a drink of billy tea at a bush camp and capturing a stray jumbuck (sheep) to eat.

@flamingfrancis

2 жыл бұрын

Your comment reminded me of the packets of Billy Tea we used to get. The artwork on the packaging had a swaggie camped by a billabong boiling his billy and sitting with Matilda. There's a great traditional song about Billy of Tea on YT.

@Staffo1972

2 жыл бұрын

@@flamingfrancis yeah i think there is a Tea Towel with something like that on it as well

We’ve already had that discussion, it almost came to a referendum! Common sense prevailed and we chose Advance Australia Fair.

Waltzing Matilda tells the story of a swagman, who is caught stealing a sheep and jumps into a pond to escape, and drowns. The title of the song 'Waltzing Matilda' is from the phrase ' waltzing the matilda ', which means to walk from place to place carrying your belonging on your back. This is what swagmen did.

This song is a great story, there are a number of good explanations to it. Broadly speaking it speaks to a proud and independent ethos... which many of the early Australian folk songs did... such as "The Wild Colonial Boy".

Matilda is the swag. Billy or Billy can is just a tin with a wire handle for boiling water. Some have spouts so are essentially teapots, but the billy would be used to boil up all kinds of food as well. A Jumbuck is a male sheep. Tuckerbag - correct! The Squatter took land by squatting on it - then converted it to leasehold or freehold, became very wealthy by farming, particularly Merino wool sheep, providing wool for the mills in England by the shipload. The troopers are mounted police - on the Squatter’s side of course. The swagman is the hero of the story. ‘Straya always for the underdog. AB Banjo Paterson is the composer - also ‘The Man from Snowy River’ kzread.info/dash/bejne/dYCA3LmEddfYgc4.html

Swagman = A Transient Worker; a person who travels place to place working odd (often seasonal) jobs here and there, usually on farms. Akin to the American term Hobo. The "swag" part of the name is indeed a reference to the "swag" bag these transient workers carried with them. Billabong = An Oxbow lake. From an Aboriginal word of same meaning. Coolabah tree = A type of Eucalyptus, which often grows on the banks of intermittent lakes and creeks i.e water sources that are prone to drying up in drought years. Billy = A tin can for boiling water in. Kinda like a kettle, but no side handle and spout. Originally was makeshift made usually from "Bully" tins (a brand of canned beef sold back in the day) with a piece of reasonably thick gauged scrap wire pierced into either side of the top to form a handle, from which you could suspend it over a campfire (or attach onto your swag). Today you can buy commercially made billycans for camping. A regular (stovetop/electric) kettle will often be referred to as a billy by some folks as well. Waltzing Mathilda = There is debate about where this term comes from. The one that is mostly accepted is that it is a combination of a borrowed term from the German "auf der walz", which refers to the act of travelling that journeymen tradesmen do to learn new techniques from other master tradesmen, and the name "Mathilda" which was often used for the personification of the Swagman's swag itself as his pseudo companion/significant other. Thus the combination 'waltzing mathilda" refers to the act of travelling around with a swag. Jumbuck = An old term for male sheep derived from aboriginal pidgen-English. The exact origin is unknown but similar words in a variety of aboriginal languages mean white cloud or mist or some other such of the like. Tuckerbag = Food bag. Tuckerbox is another similar term, but of course with a box instead of a bag. Tucker itself simply means food. Foodstuffs foraged from the bush/wild is often called "bushtucker", though that usually is only used to refer to native foods. Some school canteens are called tuckshops here too. Squatter = Land Holder. When European Settlers first came to Australia land was often acquired via a squatting type system i.e you would just go out and did what you will on any unoccupied (well unoccupied by Europeans) piece of land you liked. This became known squatting. It wasn't exactly legal but it wasn't enforced against either, especially as grazing animals on this "unoccupied" land brought in a lot of wealth. Eventually regulations were put in place and obtaining a lease or title for said land become necessary, but by then the term had stuck. Squatters became quite wealthy and eventually formed what was dubbed the Squattocracy here, a class of wealthy elites who held a lot of influence. Trooper = Mounted policemen.

He stole a sheep and was squatting on someone’s land without permission, back in the day it was a hanging offense to take someone else’s stock .

@RobReacts1

2 жыл бұрын

So I was roughly right then

Seekers ' WE ARE AUSTRALIAN' is the National Anthem that Majority of Aussies want as Anthem. Very few wat the Anthem we have now it is NAF, and does not suit Aussies too Posh, we also never remember the words. Waltzing was unofficial Anthem for a Long time, before the current one. There are explainers online for this song and its origins. This song is where ' THE BAND PLYED WALTZING MATILDA; connects, if do that sing you will get reference. Seekers do brilliant live version of this at AFL Grand Final.

@gobbles21

2 жыл бұрын

Never heard of it. The Seekers - I Am Australian, however is what most Australian’s actually want.

Matilda is the name of his swag that he carried with him.

A ‘billy’ is a tin can used for boiling water over a camp fire.

Also check out “Click Go the Shears” again by Rolf Harris.

We need to have 2 anthems for different occasions. We are Australian gets my vote for the 2nd one.

When Australian troops march, this song is played by the band

Matilda is what he calls his swag. Waltzing is walking. Jumbuck is a male sheep or ram. Billabong is a section of a river which has been cutoff from the main part of the river by narrows. A squatter is a landowner. A trooper is a policeman.

There's definitely a reason I recommend checking out the lyrics first, because the terminology is quite old. I can be confusing in places even for Aussies like myself who have been born and bred here.

@Lolliegoth

2 жыл бұрын

Educate yourself then - learn your history.

Johnny Cash loved this song! He sang it to an American audience translating it at the same time. Sadly he only sang half of the song (like most of us do with our National anthem). One of my favourite Aussie songs is 'True Blue' by John Williamson. It was played at my Pops sendoff as he was as true blue as they come 💞🇦🇺💞

The swagman steals a sheep to eat. When the police and the land owner (squatter) show up, he kills himself by jumping into the billabong rather than letting the police take him into custody, where his fate could have been much worse. That's what the line "You'll never take me alive said he" means. Fundementally, it's a song about police brutality, where a homeless person kills themself to avoid the police. It is a bit dark for a national anthem, but I still think it should be, our current one is so boring and hollow.

All songs have a basis in poetry, I’d love to see these kind of Aussie songs written in the traditional poetry verse

@renatewest6366

11 ай бұрын

Read Poetry by Banjo Patterson.

I reckon squatters were farmers who ,when we were first settled ,allowed to claim land in unused parts if it was cleared and made into a farm . So one farmer would claim from that river to that part of the country and other farmers couldnt use it till they set up a farm ....... if a person couldnt get work locally ,would waltz his matilda ( bed roll with posessions inside and hung around shoulders ) around the district far and wide doing available work . my Grandfathers brother apparently did it and worked in Queensland for a long time before returning to Victoria .......Why change the anthem , could add a verse to make it different .

So basically, its a story of a travelling hobo (swagman) with his swag (Matilda) who travels and spends his day on other peoples property, steals and kills the landowners' sheep (jumbuck), fills his tucker bag (food bag) with the stolen goods, until the law catches him (mounted troopers) - rather than spending time in jail, or worse - takes his chances and dives into the lake (billabong) to get away. He is more than likely to have got snagged on the undergrowth underwater, or held his breath too long, and drowned. Welcome to Australian Colonisation and British Troopers!

I believe squatters in Australia back then were people that basically settled on land which was part of the colonies, but the colonies had no real way of enforcing their ownership over the land. So basically people you just built a fence around some land and said its mine without paying the crown Basically the song can be boiled down to: "The suicidal sheep thief"

Waltzing Matilda means walking with your swag aka Matilda.

The funniest version of Waltzing Matilda I have ever seen was when the Vienna Boys choir sang Voltzing Matilda. You got a lot of it right. A swagman was a dude who walked around looking for work. His Matilda was his bed roll. So Waltzing Matilda was walking around looking for work with his bed roll and belongings on his back. A Jumbuck is a sheep. The Squatter was the bloke who grazed the property with his sheep. He moved onto the unclaimed land used it for farming and grazing got rich and powerful, thus had authority. The Troopers were Mounted Police. The Swaggy then committed suicide by jumping in the Billabong. And every time that song gets played a scumbag in New York gets the royalties. Good job there old cock. We will see you in the next video.

The jumbuck (sheep) was owned by the squatter (landholder) and he brought the troopers to arrest the swaggie for pinching and killing the jumbuck. The swaggie drowned himself in the billabong rather than being arrested. Waltzing Matilda is basically walking with the swag, the swag is basically his companion ‘Matilda’. That’s how I understand it. I’m 60 and this song is the only place I’ve heard jumbuck used as a name for sheep. You did well Rob.

No Click goes the Shears, or Come on Aussie. Oxbow lake in English is the Billabong. His swag is Matilda. Ram is jumbuck. Squatting on Aboriginal land raising sheep that Andy stole. Andy sang Andy watched Andy waited till his Billy boiled

@flamingfrancis

2 жыл бұрын

Andy took a dive. Come on Aussie is a commercial composition written specificlly to promote World Series Cricket. The AFL folk would not be amused.

Billabong is not a lake, it is a branch of a river flowing away from the main stream but leading to no other body of water.

I don't think anyone knows what the matilda bit means. I honestly think the seekers song "i am australian" should be the anthem, it gets me and alot of people i know more emotional than the current anthem.

Squatters were the farmers, the jumbuck was their sheep, the swagman drowned himself rather than go to jail. Early version of what is on your T-shirt.

If YOU are not afraid of being slightly confused by serial (mis)used Aussie Terminology . . . may I suggest listening to one of the entertaining renditions voiced by Austen Tayshus (born 17 March 1954), such being is the stage name of American-born Jewish Australian comedian Alexander Jacob Gutman. There are a fair number of his performances available on KZread. Search with the "Austen Tayshus" name, or with the performance title: "Australiana".

Swagmen nicknamed their swag ‘Matilda’ as they lived a solitary life and his swag became basically his companion on the road. So to go waltzing Matilda is to go travelling

Matilda was just another name for swag. So waltzing Matilda was travelling with your swag on your back.