John Williamson - And the band played waltzing matilda

^CNow when I was a^F young man I ^Ccarried me pack And I lived the free l^Gife of the r^Cover. ^CFrom the Murray's green ^Fbasin to the d^Custy outback, Well, I waltzed my ^GMatilda all ov^Cer. Then in 1^D915, my co^Cuntry said, "Son, It's t^Dime you stop ramblin', there's ^Cwork to be done." So they gave me a ti^Fn hat, and they g^Cave me a gun, And they marched me a^Gway to the ^Cwar. And the band played &qu^Fot;Waltzi^Cng Matilda," As the ship pulled a^Fway from the q^Guay, And a^Fmidst all the cheers, the flag w^Caving, and tears, We sailed off for ^GGallipol^Ci. And how well I re^Fmember that t^Cerrible day, How our blood stained the s^Gand and the w^Cater; And of how in that h^Fell that they c^Call Suvla Bay We were butchered like l^Gambs at the sl^Caughter. Johnny T^Durk, he was waitin', he p^Crimed himself well; He sh^Dowered us with bullets, and he r^Cained us with shell – And in five minutes f^Flat, he'd bl^Cown us all to hell, Nearly blew us right b^Gack to Au^Cstralia. But the band played &qu^Fot;Waltzin^Cg Matilda," When we stopped to b^Fury our s^Glain, Well, ^Fwe buried ours, and the T^Curks buried theirs, Then we started all o^Gver ag^Cain. And those that were l^Feft, well, we t^Cried to survive In that mad world of b^Glood, death and fi^Cre. And for ten wea^Fry weeks I kept mysel^Cf alive Though around me the co^Grpses piled hig^Cher. Then a^D big Turkish shell knocked me a^Crse over head, And wh^Den I woke up in me hos^Cpital bed And saw w^Fhat it had done, well, I wi^Cshed I was dead – Never knew there was w^Gorse things than d^Cying. For I'll go no more &quo^Ft;Waltzin^Cg Matilda," All around the green b^Fush far and f^Gree – To hum^Fp tents and pegs, a m^Can needs both legs, No more "Waltzin^Gg Matilda&^Cquot; for me. So they gathered the cri^Fppled, the wou^Cnded, the maimed, And they shipped us back h^Gome to Austra^Clia. The armless, the legl^Fess, the b^Clind, the insane, Those proud wounded he^Groes of Su^Cvla. And as ou^Dr ship sailed into Circ^Cular Quay, I loo^Dked at the place where me l^Cegs used to be, And thanked Ch^Frist there was nobody wa^Citing for me, To grieve, to m^Gourn and to p^City. ^CBut the band played &quo^Ft;Waltzing^C Matilda," As they carried us d^Fown the gan^Ggway, But^F nobody cheered, they just st^Cood and stared, Then they turned all their f^Gaces a^Cway. And so now every Ap^Fril, I si^Ct on my porch And I watch the pa^Grade pass before^C me. And I see my old c^Fomrades, how pro^Cudly they march, Reviving old dre^Gams of past g^Clory, And the ^Dold men march slowly, all b^Cones stiff and sore, They're ti^Dred old heroes from a for^Cgotten war And the young people a^Fsk "What a^Cre they marching for?" And I ask me^Gself the same ques^Ction. But the band plays "^F;Waltzin^Cg Matilda," And the old men still an^Fswer the c^Gall, But as ^Fyear follows year, more old ^Cmen disappear Someday, no one will ^Gmarch there at^C all. ^CWaltzing Matilda, wa^Fltzing Matilda. ^CWho'll come a-^Fwaltzing Ma^Ctilda with ^Gme? And their gh^Costs may be h^Geard as they m^Carch by the bi^Fllabong, ^CWho'll come a-W^Faltzing M^Gatilda with ^Cme?