Waltzing Matilda

“Waltzing Matilda” is one of Australia’s best known folk songs. Many Aussies consider it an “unofficial” Australian national anthem. The musical roots of this genre can be traced back to the folk music of the first English, Scottish, and Irish colonists and prisoners who came to Australia from Europe.

Bush ballads, like many folk songs, are often quite simple and straightforward in terms of structure and rhythm.  This is because folk music is meant to be accessible to regular people, like you and me, to play and write ourselves, so that our voices are heard.

“Waltzing Matilda” tells the story of a migrant worker who is camped by a pond and boiling water for tea.  The lyrics in the song are little tricky because “waltzing” does not mean dancing, and “Matilda” does not refer to a person. In this song, “Matilda” is the traveler’s bag and “waltzing” is traveling. So “waltzing Matilda” means to travel with your bag and nothing else.
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