And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda John McDermott
Intro: E A E A
V1
When [E]I was a [A]young man I [E]carried me [C#m]pack,
And I [E]lived the free [B]life of a [E]rover.
From the Murray's green [A]basin to the [E]dusty Out[C#m]back,
I [E]waltzed my Ma[B]tilda all [E]over.
V2
Then in [B]1915 me [A]country said, [E]Son,
It's [B]time you stopped rambling there's [A]work to be [E]done.
So they gave me a [A]tin hat, and they [E]gave me a [C#m]gun,
And they [E]marched me aw[B]ay to the [E]war.
Chorus
[E]And the band played [A]Waltzing Mat[E]ilda,
When the ship pulled a[A]way from the [B]quay.[Bsus4] [B]
And a[A]midst all the [F#m]tears, flag-[E]waving and [C#m]cheers,
We [E]sailed off for [B]Gallipo[E]li.[Esus4] [E]
V3
And how [E]well I re[A]member that [E]terrible [C#m]day,
When our [E]blood stained the [B]sand and the [E]water.
And how in that [A]hell that they [E]call Suvla [C#m]Bay,
We were [E]butchered like [B]lambs at the [E]slaughter.
V4
Johnny [B]Turk he was ready, he'd [A]primed himself [E]well,
He [B]rained us with bullets, and he [A]showered us with [E]shells.
And in five minutes [A]flat he'd [E]blown us all to [C#m]hell,
Nearly [E]blew us back [B]home to Austr[E]alia.
Chorus
[E]And the band played [A]Waltzing Mat[E]ilda,
When we stopped to [A]bury our [B]slain.[Bsus4] [B]
[A]We buried [F#m]ours, and the T[E]urks buried t[C#m]heirs,
Then we [E]started all [B]over ag[E]ain.[Esus4] [E]
V5
And t[E]hose that were [A]left, well, we [E]tried to sur[C#m]vive,
In that [E]mad world of [B]blood, death and [E]fire.
And for ten weary [A]weeks I kept [E]myself a[C#m]live,
While ar[E]ound me the [B]corpses piled [E]higher.
V6
Then a [B]big Turkish shell knocked me [A]arse over [E]head,
And [B]when I awoke in me [A]hospital [E]bed.
And saw what it had [A]done, well, I [E]wished I was [C#m]dead,
Never [E]knew there was [B]worse things than [E]dying.
V7
[E]So no more I'll go [A]Waltzing Mat[E]ilda,
All around the green [A]bush far and [B]near.[Bsus4] [B]
To [A]hump tent and [F#m]pegs a m[E]an needs both l[C#m]egs,
No more [E]Waltzing Mat[B]ilda for [E]me.[Esus4] [E]
V8
So they [E]gathered the [A]wounded, the [E]crippled, the [C#m]maimed,
And they [E]shipped us back [B]home to Austr[E]alia.
The armless, the [A]legless, the [E]blind, the in[C#m]sane,
Those [E]proud wounded [B]heroes of [E]Suvla.
V9
And [B]when the ship pulled into [A]Circular [E]Quay,
I [B]looked at the place where me [A]legs used to [E]be.
And thanked Christ there was [A]no one there [E]waiting for [C#m]me,
To [E]grieve and to [B]mourn and to [E]pity.
Chorus
[E]And the band played [A]Waltzing Mat[E]ilda,
When they carried us [A]down the gang[B]way.[Bsus4] [B]
But [A]nobody [F#m]cheered, they just s[E]tood there and s[C#m]tared,
Then they [E]turned all their [B]faces a[E]way.[Esus4] [E]
V10
So [E]now every [A]April I [E]sit on my [C#m]porch,
And I [E]watch the par[B]ade pass be[E]fore me.
I see my old [A]comrades how [E]proudly they [C#m]march,
Re[E]newing old [B]dreams of past [E]glory.
V11
And the [B]old men march slowly, all [A]bones stiff and [E]sore,
They're [B]tired old heroes from a [A]forgotten [E]war.
And the young people [A]ask, "What are t[E]hey marching f[C#m]or?"
And [E]I ask my[B]self the same [E]question.
Chorus
[E]And the band plays [A]Waltzing Mat[E]ilda,
And the old men still [A]answer the [B]call.[Bsus4] [B]
But [A]year after [F#m]year their n[E]umbers are f[C#m]ewer,
Someday [E]no one will [B]march there at [E]all.[Esus4] [E]
Outro:
[E]Waltzing Matilda, [A]Waltzing Matilda,
[E]Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with [B]me?
And their [E]ghosts may be [B]heard as [C#m]they march by the B[A]illabong,
[A]Who'll come a-[E]Waltzing Ma[B7]tilda with [E]me?
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