Waltzing My Matilda

[G]When I was a [C]young man I [D]carried my [G]pack
[G]And I lived the free [D]life of a [C]rover [G]
[G]From the Murrays green [C]basin to the [D]dusty out[G]back
[G]I waltzed my Mat[D]ilda all o[G]ver
[G]Then in [D]nineteen fifteen my [C]country said [G]Son
[G]It's [D]time to stop rambling 'cause there's [C]work to be [G]done
[G]So they gave me a [C]tin hat and they [D]gave me a [G]gun
[G]And they sent me [D]away to the [C]war  [G]
[G]And the band played [C]Waltzing Ma[G]tilda
[G]As we sailed [C]away from the [D]quay
And [C]amidst all the tears and the s[G]houts and the c[C]heers
We [G]sailed off for [D]Gallipo[C]li  [G]

[G]How well I [C]remember that [D]terrible [G]day
[G]When the blood stained the [D]sand and the [C]water [G]
[G]And how in that [C]hell that they c[D]alled Suvla [G]Bay
[G]We were butchered like [D]lambs at the [C]slaughter [G]
[G]Johnny [D]Turk he was ready, he [C]primed himself [G]well
He [D]shot us with bullets, he [C]rained us with [G]shells
[G]And in five minutes [C]flat he'd blown us [D]all to h[G]ell
[G]Nearly blew us right [D]back to [C]Australia [G]
[G]And the band played [C]Waltzing [G]Matilda
[G]As we stopped to [C]bury our [D]slain
[C]We buried ours and the [G]Turks buried [C]theirs
[C]And it [G]started all [D]over [C]again[G]
[G]Now those who were [C]living did their [D]best to [G]survive
[G]In that mad world of [D]death, blood and [C]fire[G]
[G]And for seven long [C]weeks I kept [D]myself a[G]live
W[G]hile the corpses a[D]round me piled [C]higher [G]
[G]Then a big [D]Turkish shell knocked me [C]arse over [G]tit
And [D]when I woke up in my [C]hospital [G]bed
[G]And saw what it had [C]done, Christ I [D]wished I was [G]dead
[G]Never knew there were w[D]orse things than [C]dying [G]
[G]For no more I'll go [C]waltzing [G]Matilda
[G]To the green bushes [C]so far and [D]near
[D]For to [C]hang tent and pegs, a [G]man needs two [C]legs
[C]No more [G]waltzing [D]Matilda for [C]me  [G]
[G]So they collected the c[C]ripples, the [D]wounded, the [G]maimed
[G]And they shipped us back [D]home to [C]Australia  [G]
[G]The legless, [C]the armless, [D]the blind, the in[G]sane
[G]Those proud wounded [D]heroes of [C]Suvla [G]
[G]And as our [D]ship pulled into [C]Circular [G]Quay
I [D]looked at the place where my [C]legs used to [G]be
[G]And thank Christ there was [C]nobody w[D]aiting for [G]me
[G]To grieve and to [D]mourn and to [C]pity [G]
[G]And the band played [C]Waltzing [G]Matilda
[G]As they carried us [C]down the [D]gangway
But [C]nobody cheered, they just [G]stood and [C]stared
Then [G]turned all their [D]faces a[C]way [G]
[G]And now every [C]April I [D]sit on my [G]porch
[G]And I watch the [D]parade pass [C]before me [G]
[G]I see my old [C]comrades, how [D]proudly they [G]march
[G]Reliving the [D]dreams of past [C]glory  [G]
I [D]see the old men, all [C]twisted and [G]torn
The [D]forgotten heroes of a [C]forgotten [G]war
[G]And the young people [C]ask me, "What are [D]they marching [G]for?"
[G]And I ask [D]myself the same [C]question  [G]
[G]And the band plays [C]Waltzing [G]Matilda
[G]And the old men still [C]answer the [D]call
But [C]year after year their [G]numbers get [C]fewer
Some day [G]no one will [D]march there at [C]all  [G]
[G]Waltzing Matilda, [C]Waltzing Matilda
[G]Who'll go a w[C]altzing [G]Matilda with [D]me
And their [G]ghosts may be [D]heard
As they [G]march beside the [C]billabong
[G]Who'll come a waltzing [D]Matilda with [G]me