Waltzing Matilda

“Waltzing Matilda” isn’t a gentle campfire lullaby — it’s a bush ballad about rebellion.
Written in 1895 by Banjo Paterson, it tells the story of a roaming swagman who steals a sheep (a jumbuck) to survive. When cornered by police and a wealthy landowner (the squatter), he chooses death over capture — leaping into a billabong.

Beneath the jaunty melody is a quiet protest against authority and inequality in colonial Australia. That’s why it resonated so deeply with workers and soldiers — and why many Australians consider it the unofficial national anthem.

Cheerful tune. Defiant soul.