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The Band Played Waltzing Matilda [C]Eric Bogle

C G7 C

C Now, when C I was a young F man I C carried me Am pack,
and I C lived the free G7 life of- the C rover.
From the Murray's green F basin to the C dusty outAmback, well,
I C waltzed my MaG7tilda all C over.
Then in G7 nineteen fifteen my F country said,
C Son, it's G7 time you stop rambling, there's F work to be C done”
So they gave me a F tin hat and they C gave me a Am gun and
they C marched me aG7way to the C war. F C
And the C band played F Waltzing MaCtilda, as the ship pulled aF way from the G quay.
And F ’midst all the cheers, the flag C waving and F tears,
we C sailed off for G7 GallipoCli. G7 C

And how C well I reFmember that C terrible Am day,
how our C blood stained the G7 sand and the C water.
And how in that F hell that they C called Suvla Am Bay,
we were C butchered like G7 lambs at the C slaughter.
Johnny G7 Turk, he was ready, he’d F primed himself C well,
he G7 showered us with bullets and he F rained us with C shell
And in five minutes F flat he’d blown C us all to Am hell,
nearly C blew us right G7 back to AusCtralia F C
But the C band played F Waltzing MaCtilda, when we stopped to F bury our G slain.
F We buried ours, and the C Turks buried F theirs,
then we C started all G7 over aC gain. G7 C

And C those that were F left, well, we C tried to surAmvive,
in that C mad world of G7 blood, death and C fire.
And for ten weary F weeks I kept C myself aAmlive,
though aCround me the G7 corpses piled C higher.
Then a G7 big Turkish shell knocked me F arse over C head,
and G7 when I woke up in me F hospital C bed And saw what it had F done, well,
I C wished I was Am dead, - never C knew there was G7 worse things than C dying. F C
For I'll C go no more F Waltzing MaCtilda, All around the green F bush, far and G free.
To F hump tent and pegs, a C man needs both F legs,
no more 'C Waltzing MaG7tilda' for C me. G7 C

So they C gathered the F crippled, the C wounded, the Am maimed,
and they C shipped us back G7 home to AusCtralia.
The legless, the F armless, the C blind and inAmsane,
those C proud wounded G7 heroes of C Suvla.
And G7 when our ship pulled into F Circular C Quay,
I G7looked at the place where F me legs used to C be.
And thanked Christ, there was F nobody C waiting for Amme,
to Cgrieve, to G7mourn, and to Cpity. F C
But the C band played F Waltzing MaCtilda, as they carried us F down the gangGway.
But Fnobody cheered, they Cjust stood and Amstared,
then they Cturned all their G7faces aCway.G7 C

And so C now every F April I C sit on me Am porch,
and I C watch the paG7rade pass beCfore me
And I see my old F comrades, how C proudly they Am march,
reCviving old G7 dreams and past C glory.
And the G7 old men march slowly, old F bones stiff and C sore;
they’re G7 tired old heroes from a F forgotten C war.
And the young people F ask “What are C they marching Am for?”
and C I ask meG7self the same C question. F C
C But the band plays F Waltzing MaCtilda, and the old men still F answer the G call.
But as F year follows year, the old C men get Ffewer,
some day C no one will G march there at C all.

C Waltzing matilda, F waltzing matilda,
C who'll come a-Amwaltzing maDmtilda with G7 me?
And their C ghosts may be G7 heard as they C march by that F Billabong,
C Who'll come a-Am waltzing maG7tilda with C me?

3 C 1 2 3 G7 1 2 F 2 Am 1 2 3 G 1 2 3 Dm
https://ukejam.online/songs/1032/0