Paul: “A billabong is a pool of water, like a small spring.”
Ron: “And his billy is his pot in which he heats water for his tea.”
Roger: “A matilda is a bag or roll of goods he carries with him. It might be carried over one shoulder. Everything he owns would be in that roll, including his bedding.”
Paul: “Waltzing is an expression for wandering around. So the picture here is of a homeless person with a roll of personal possessions he carries with him, wandering around the outback. He has come to a small pool of water, made a fire, and is heating water for tea while he sits in the shade under a tree.”
Ron: “And what comes next is a jumbuck comes – a jumbuck is a lamb or sheep.”
Roger: “And the tuckerbag is the bag the swagman keeps his tucker, his food, in.”
Paul: “And finally, the term squatter refers to a large landowner.”
Jim: “Let’s sing the song and see if it makes sense now. Once again, we all sing the same melody. Let’s, you know, let’s sing the chorus a couple times with the third line from the first verse, as I just sang it.” He played the starting note and they began.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
“Well, you know, that was good. Now Ron and I will alternate the verses and you sing the choruses, using the third line of the verse as the third line of the chorus.” He played the starting note again and they were off.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
[chorus]
Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
[chorus]
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
[chorus]
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive", said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."
[chorus]
Julia, Val and Shelly all said they wanted to hear the song again, so they sang it through a second time. They gave themselves a round of applause.
Michelle asked to sing Kookaburra again, and they did. Jeanne asked to sing Home on the Range again. They did that. Jim called an end to the singing and they all wandered off to bed – it had been a good day and it had ended with each of them feeling good about themselves and about all of the others.
Acknowledgments
I want to acknowledge all people involved in this book series, without their permission and their support of whom this work could not be accomplished: Mr. Samuels, Mr. Del Mar, Captain Ashley, and the free spirit of Mr. Gallagher.
Distributed by Nick Niels Sanders with all rights and permissions required.
Table of Contents
Island Life
28
Supper
Acknowledgments
Island Life Page 4