And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda »
Posted By Spadecaller 1 year, 4 months ago in Arts & EntertainmentThe paintings of Degas, Sargent, and the visual arts of Spadecaller accompany Joan Baez’s performance. Written by Eric Bogle (1972).
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Spadecaller
Welcome to my profile. About me: I'm an artist of several kinds; from bull to painting. I don't spare too many words. Most ...
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Spadecaller1 year, 4 months ago
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Lyrics:
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Now when I was a young lad I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green banks, to the dusty outback
While I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, 'Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done.'
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.
And the band played 'Waltzing Matilda,'
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
Amidst the songs and the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.
And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand we call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
The big Turkish shell caught me arse over head,
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead
Never knew there was worse things than dying.
So I'll go no more 'Waltzing Matilda,'
or through the green bush bars and wide
For to hunt and tent peg a man needs both legs,
No more 'Waltzing Matilda' for me.
They gathered the injured, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us all back to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To mourn, and to grieve, and to pity.
And the band played “Waltzing Matilda”
As they wheeled us down the gangway.
And nobody cheered, they just stood and stared.
And they all turned their faces away.
And the band still plays 'Waltzing Matilda,'
And the young men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, those old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.
Waltzing Mathilda, Waltzing Mathilda
Who'll come a-waltzing Mathilda with me
And their ghosts may be heard as you pass the Billabong
Who'll come a-waltzing Mathilda with me ? -
hurr1Comment removed: Hard Banned
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AnteUp1 year, 4 months ago
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Thanks for the submission, Spadecaller.
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If that doesn't rip your guts out - I don't know what would.
Maybe current activities add such stinging poignancy to those lyrics. It made my chin quiver and I reached for a tissue - but small price to pay for sitting at home, online on a Saturday morning while other young soldiers share the fate of this poor fellow so long ago.
It's not just a parade, is it Spade? It's reality - for some. -
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Spadecaller1 year, 4 months ago
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Death and dismemberment were inches close to me in Vietnam, as they are still close to our kids in Iraq today.
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To pretend, however, that I walked away from it unscathed, would be a big lie. It took me many years to be able to sleep without nightmares, without getting up and checking my house, the doors and windows -- to see if they had been tampered with. Some nights I spent hours looking for booby traps and explosive devices.
Two years ago, I had to have a big operation on my back, for which I needed to enter a rehab for extended physical therapy. Among the other patients that I associated with were two young men, who had each lost a leg in Iraq. Although they both made a valiant effort to appear strong and accepting of the challenges they had to face, I could feel the anger and the denial of their truer feelings.
Like many of us who suffered losses as a result of our service in Vietnam, it took most of us years. It took me nearly 10 years before I could face the baggage that I took home with me; and some of my friends never made those adjustments. I am one of the fortunate ones.-
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ind061 year, 4 months ago
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The best version of this song I ever heard was played by two guys on steel drums in the open air of the park blocks near Portland state. The music drifted softly in the air, mingling with the sounds of the park. I'm not given to hyperbolic statements, but it was as close to magic as I've ever come.
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And, of course, the British treated the Australians like their lives had absolutely no meaning, throwing them into the meat grinder and simply not caring if they lived or died. No wonder this song is the unofficial Australian anthem.
Good vid, Spadecaller. :)-
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HannibalBarca1 year, 4 months ago
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Remember in the movie "A Bridge to Far" Michael Cane was the commander of the Irish tank brigade and was given the honour of being the spearhead.
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His comment; right you are the colonials into the breach (or somewhat similar) and it was true for all colonials.
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chevydog1 year, 4 months ago
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Great job Spade.
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I hadn't heard the version by Joan Baez My favorite one is by the Dubliners, with the Clancy Brothers version a close second. Both include verses not sung in this one.
The first time I heard this song, sort of in the background, it stopped me cold in what I was doing. Every time since then It's like a kick in the gut.
Some people glorify war; and regretfully sometimes it becomes necessary. But some also forget the human costs, often extending far beyond loss of life. -
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albionperfides1 year, 4 months ago
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It doesn't take long for the antiBrit sentiment to surface. The alternative for the Anzacs was the Western front and the Somme where 400,000 British died between June and November 1916.
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As for believing a film script about Arnhem, HB, get real. -
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uncle-dave1 year, 4 months ago
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I have never heard this song in its entirety, and never realized it was about the battle of Gallipoli. I thought it was just about a rucksack. You'd think that after the accounts of the slaughter of Australian troops, by the Turks, under the command of British officers and Dalton Trumbo's book "Johnny Got His Gun" that we would have wised up in regards to waging war. Maybe we should elect young men to office and send the older ones off to fight, maybe things would change then.
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I fear that the next war to end all wars will be nuclear.
Another thought provoking piece SC.-
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chevydog1 year, 4 months ago
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This song is "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"; as opposed to "Waltzing Matilda", which is probably the one you're thinking of. The latter is very popular Down Under'; and , as some have pointed out, is probably the unofficial national anthem. There are several references to its being played within the song, including one edited/missing verse:
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And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain.
Well we buried ours
And the Turks buried theirs.
Then it started all over again.
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old-squid1 year, 4 months ago
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Welcome Home, Spadecaller.
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I first heard this song sung some thirty years ago at an Irish bar in Chicago, and was immediately impacted by it. I had been in Australia back in '67 for R&R and remember the old "ANZACS" who welcomed us at Service Clubs - but I really had no comprehension then of what Gallipoli had been about... The waste and the carnage; and to think it was the brainchild of the 1st Lord of the Admiralty - Winston Spencer Churchill - who was then unceremoniously sacked from Government... -
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fanjet1 year, 4 months ago
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Thanks - but I would have preferred an original, full version of the song by Eric Bogle. The poignancy would have been vastly enhanced by the missing lyrics. Oh well, thanks anyway.
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It was a treat, but I was left disappointed thinking of what it might have been.
I'm not sure if someone posted a comment believing that Bogle's song was the same song
as Australia's second Nationall Anthem - the ubiquitous and perennial "Waltzing Matilda".
Those interested would probably enjoy Googling for the original, full lyrics, or perhaps an original performance of "And the Band Played..."-
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Candida1 year, 4 months ago
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Here you go.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5_HzeluxcU
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fanjet1 year, 4 months ago
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Here's a well-done version sung by Eric Bogle. The visuals were put together by a Canadian.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI&feature=related -
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Francisca1 year, 4 months ago
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Hi Spadecaller... I loved Joan Baez. Marvellous singer! As usual you chose the right pictures for the right song!
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How horrible is it to see the young man with his two amputated legs....
I enjoyed this video, thank you for sharing it with us!
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