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Roger Clarke's Waltzing Matilda Guitar Chords

Waltzing Matilda Guitar Chords

Roger Clarke

© Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 1997, 1998, 1999

This document is at http://www.rogerclarke.com/WM/WMChords.html


Be warned: I know absolutely nothing about playing a guitar ("don't blame me, I'm only the piano player"??).

Here are three sets of guitar chords, which I understand to relate to the popular 'Victorian version' of Waltzing Matilda', and which I've copied directly from the emails that I've received from the contributers.


A colleague at the A.N.U., David Walsh, provided me with what he assures me are the chords for accompanying Waltzing Matilda on the guitar.

I subsequently received a revision from Peter McPhee, virtually at colosseum.com, and physically just north of Toronto (who was actually looking for the chords for 'Star-Spangled Banner' - and fell over this instead).

 D            A       Bm         G      D
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
 D          A7      D    A7   D
Under the shade of coolibah tree
        D          A            Bm              G
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
  D                       A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
 
Chorus:
 D                 G          D
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
 D              G   D      D        A
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
        D          A7          Bm              G
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
 
 D            A        Bm              G      D
Down came a jumbuck to dri-ink at that billabong
 D             A7          D          A7   D
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
        D           A            Bn              G
And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker-bag
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
  
[Chorus]
 
 D            A        Bm            G      D
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
 D           A7       D    A7    D
Up rode the troopers, one, two, three
 D                    A     Bm                  G
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?"
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
   
[Chorus]

 D           A        Bm            G      D
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into that billabong
 D             A7        D     A7   D
"You'll never take me alive!", said he
         D            A           Bm             G
And his ghost may be heard as you pa-ass by that billabong
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
  
[Chorus]

And here is what was supplied to me by Nick R. virtually from Geocities, and physically who-knows-where:

C            G       Am          F      
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
C                  G
Under the shade of coolibah tree
       C          G           Am              F
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
C                        G          C
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Chorus:
C               F
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
C                                   G
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
       C          G           Am              F
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
C                        G          C
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
   
And I pick it like this:
C:
|-0---------------|
|-----------1-----|
|-------0---------|
|-----2-------2---|
|-3-------3-------|
|-----------------|
G:
|-3---------------|
|-----------0-----|
|-------0---------|
|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|
Am:
|-0---------------|
|-----------1-----|
|-------2---------|
|-----2-------2---|
|-0-------0-------|
|-----------------|
C:
|-1---------1-----|
|-------1---------|
|-----2-------2---|
|-3-------3-------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|

David Walsh's chords, as revised by Peter McPhee:

D            A       Bm         G       
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
 D                  A7      
Under the shade of coolibah tree
        D          A            Bm              G
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
  D                       A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
 
Chorus:
 D                 G          
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
 D                                  A
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
        D          A7          Bm              G
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
 
 D            A        Bm              G      
Down came a jumbuck to dri-ink at that billabong
 D                                    A7   
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
        D           A            Bm             G
And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his tucker-bag
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
  
[Chorus]
 
 D            A        Bm            G      
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
 D                         A7     
Up rode the troopers, one, two, three
 D                    A     Bm                  G
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?"
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
   
[Chorus]
 D           A        Bm            G       
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into that billabong
 D                             A7    
"You'll never take me alive!", said he
         D            A           Bm             G
And his ghost may be heard as you pa-ass by that billabong
 D                        A7        D
You'll come a-waltzing matilda with me
  
[Chorus]


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Created: 29 March 1997 - Last Amended: 10 July 1999 by Roger Clarke - Site Last Verified: 15 February 2009
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