Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he sat and waited 'til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
And he sang as he sat and waited 'til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me.
Along came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he tucked that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me.
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 tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me"
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me."
Up jumped the swagman and plunged into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive," cried he
Now his ghost may be seen if you pass by that billabong,
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me.
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
Now his ghost may be seen if you pass by that billabong,
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me.
This is the version as it was taught to me; it's not the 'official' version. I don't care. The magic of a folk song is that everybody knows the words, and no one knows them exactly. See the Wikipedia page.