SPIRIT OF “…MATILDA”
A tribute to our national song “Waltzing Matilda” – Lyrics by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson
© Brenda Joy
Winner, 2012 ‘Mudgee Valley Writers 13th Bicentennial Award for Adult Poetry’, Mudgee, NSW.
A jumbuck-duffing swagman camped by billabong one day
came into conflict with the law, then gave his life away.
Is this a song that we should sing to glorify our land –
too silly for an anthem theme, too old to understand?
But is there deeper meaning cloaked in metaphor and rhymes,
an allegory of events depicting troubled times?
The era of its origin saw discord running rife
as landowners and shearers fought to keep their way of life.
An epoch of depression reigned throughout our southern world.
When price of wool hit lowest point fierce passions were unfurled.
With workers struggling to attain some very basic rights,
the use of ‘blackleg’ labour led to protest, strikes and fights.
When desperation spurred the bulk of shearers to rebel
and burn down woolsheds, arms were used to stifle and to quell
defiant outbreak of revolt. Then into all this fray
solicitor, come bard, was called, who’d often passed that way. (i)
And through his mediation came solutions they could test
whilst through his simple lyrics came a song to ease unrest.
For in amongst legalities, when lunch times came around,
McPherson’s sister, sweet Christina, played a tune she’d found. (ii)
And in amongst diverse accounts regarding Dagworth’s role
were rumours of a man found dead beside a water hole. (iii)
A roving shearer thought to have committed suicide,
our ‘Banjo’ used as symbol of rebellion, guts and pride.
With many forced to take up swags — for work could not be found —
It was ideal to weave a story ‘round a victim drowned.
A bloke preferring freedom’s way with spirit unsuppressed
evoked compelling images to vitalise a quest.
..............
Our song has echoed through the years of comradeship in wars,
has held together troops that fought on hostile, foreign shores.
It will resound in distant lands wherever Aussies roam
and always it will stir the heart and conjure thoughts of home.
For all of our achievements we will waltz “…Matilda” loud.
We’ll share it round the campfire’s glow and roar it in the crowd.
We may be called a ‘weirdo’ mob to sing of suicide,
but being criticised just serves to rouse our Aussie pride.
For what was true in ‘Banjo’s’ time is relevant today,
as honest people fight the banks and have to walk away;
as foreign interests intervene and global systems strive
to steal our hard won heritage to keep our dreams alive.
It doesn’t matter where we’re from, the outback or the crowd,
we’ll honour our uniqueness as a country young and proud,
and we will welcome to our shores all those who yearn to be
allowed to live the Aussie way — at liberty and free.
The swaggie stands for battlers, right of choice, heroic deeds,
egalitarians embracing democratic creeds,
who’ll challenge life’s inequities and rise to heed the call
expressed within the nation’s song that ‘Banjo’ gave us all.
Footnotes:-
(i) During The Shearer’s Strike of 1894 a woolshed burnt down on Dagworth Station – 2nd September, 1894 –
then owned by the McPherson family. It was reported that A.B. Paterson intervened and mediated
as a solicitor at Dagworth Station in January, 1985.
MAGOFFIN, Richard, “Waltzing Matilda and other Nursery Rhymes”, Matilda Expo Publishers, 1998.
(ii) Christina MacPherson – co-creator of “Waltzing Matilda”.
“While resting for lunch or while changing horses on our four-in-hand
journeys, Miss McPherson used to play a little Scottish tune on a
zither and I put words to the tune and called it “Waltzing Matilda”.
Reported transcript from an interview given by A.B. Paterson on ABC Radio – 1930’s)
"GOLDEN WATTLE", Collected Works of A.B. Paterson, Volume 2. 1983.
(iii) Samuel (Frenchy) Hoffmeister, Bavarian born itinerant shearer thought to have committed suicide at a
billabong near Kynuna, Queensland, after the burning down of the Dagworth Station woolshed.
MAGOFFIN, Richard, "Waltzing Matilda and other Nursery Rhymes", op.cit.
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