Is Waltzing Matilda a weapon?

During the lions series we are sure to see "Waltzing Matilda" dirged out both prior to and during the matches.

The wallabies have used the unofficial anthem as a rallying cry before, most famously as a response to the mighty All Black Haka in during 1990's Bledisloe Cup encounters.

My feeling is that the jingly sing song is frankly a bit of an embarrassment and not up to the standard if international talking cries such as Fields if Athenrye, Flower if Scotland, Jerusalem, Swing Low or The many beautiful anthems of Welsh origin, let alone the intimidating Haka.

What are your thoughts? Is this a proud national rallying call? Or a cringeworthy humiliating cultural point of ridicule?

Nothing wrong with Banjo Patterson.

Dirty Deeds should be sung whenever there's a scrum.

I have no problem with the crowd singing an Australian song to show their support for their team. Personally I think the best form of crowd support is spontaneous and manufactured attempts to get a sing song going over the PA system always fall flat. There is a cringeworthy entertainment style akin to sevens rugby (where it works well because everyone is essentially hammered and already look ridiculous in fancy dress) creeping in to the 15s format which doesn't sit well with me. The Mexican trumpets at kick off, the songs that come on after a try is scored etc. Shut the ruck up and let the rugby do the talking and let the crowd respond to that.

I'm not really sure what the lyrics of Walzing Maltilda are about in detail. I've never really reflected on them too much, except for the chap under the shade of a Coolibah tree by a billabong. That's more than enough for me to get my mind rolling.

I do know what the song evokes for me. It evokes a hard, burning, shrivelled land, a big country, a often stark but beautiful land. Waltzing Matilda evokes the people of Australia - the gritty, witty, tough as nails, harsh environment defeating, competitive and laconic people.

Old songs often far outweigh their actual lyrics in meaning. They become a visual picture of a nation as a whole. As an outsider who has travelled extensively in Australia, suggesting Waltzing Matilda might be considered culturally cringeworthy or humiliating is way off the mark. They should be proud and sing it loudly.

It evokes time I spent falling asleep in school when I was about 5 or 6 learning words I did not understand ("waiting for his billy to boil" had a very different meaning to us lads then).

Stuffing jumbucks into tucker bags and leaping into billabongs was frowned on where I came from so the whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth to be honest. Maybe I'm biased.

Too much implied Toff here "Wots billy and billabongs, then?"

Well, in other more refined cultures , its called alfresco dining

So ...."Waiting for his alfresco lunch to be served"?????

Once a refined gentleman
Dined at a Michellin starred establishment
Under the shade of a platanus acerifolia tree
And he enquired in appropriate etiquette as he waited for his aperitif
Which of you fine gentlemen fancy a stroll towards Mayfair with me?

Now that would be civilized.

GloriousEmpire wrote:Once a refined gentleman
Dined at a Michellin starred establishment
Under the shade of a platanus acerifolia tree
And he enquired in appropriate etiquette as he waited for his aperitif
Which of you fine gentlemen fancy a stroll towards Mayfair with me?

Now that would be civilized.

Perfect, Glorious. That's a perfect re-mix for the twitter Generation. Waltzing Matilda Feat DJ Glorious.

Very kind words Fly.

Here's a nice version of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv2aJgzYyk8

Any of these?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Eot7XDk8Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5LoGCfOASo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMsXIhl6ZOM


and some Slim Dusty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbQSrZ4KEE0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyYDSIAlW9I

and John Williamson...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cohkaLM3AjQ

these ones are a bit hard to sing along to...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mL4CwflxVI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ4NuX0qWuY


and if we just sing the chorus for these ones...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgukduYJZ44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz3HShQkdd4