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September 27, 2003
Waltzing Matilda
There was an interesting letter in the 'Catholic Weekly' this week (view online here) which suggests an alternate ending for 'Waltzing Matilda'. As it stands, the song really can't be a national anthem - the main character is a thief who commits suicide when caught in the act by the cops.
David Bannerman suggests:
Waltzing Matilda does stir the blood of Australians and would be suitable as a national song provided that the last stanza is changed.
We have far too much suicide in this country already and as the last stanza reads it promotes suicide as the way out of one's problems.
It should be altered as follows:
Up jumped the swagman and stood beside the billabong,
"Please give a starving man a go", said he,
And the squatter and the troopers said: "OK. Let's have a barbecue,
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me."
This would get the suicide element out of the song promote the idea of mateship, forgiveness, generosity and egalitarianism and also encourage its listeners to follow the advice of Jesus: "Ask and you shall receive."
Personally I think you need to drop the "OK" (two syllables when sung) because it doesn't fit. You need somthing that is shorter like 'Right, lets have a BBQ' or 'Mate, lets have a BBQ'.
Posted by Ozguru at September 27, 2003 09:09 PM
