Band Played Waltzing Matilda

by Eric Bogle - performed by Graham Dodsworth

After 'Waltzing Matilda' itself, upon which this song springboards to a minor degree, Bogle's 'And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' is internationally one of the most well known Australian songs (Men At Works 'Land Down Under' is another). Carefully crafted powerful lyrics couple neatly with a tune that, particularly in the 1970s, was a perfect fit for the sensitive issues the song addressed. Issues which were welcome at the time, ironically partly due to the plight and lack of public recognition and understanding given to Vietnam Veterans, particularly upon their return to Australia (Schuman's 'I was only 19' deliberately addressed those issues further and more directly soon after). An ANZAC march in 1971, and the dwindling numbers of soldiers at ANZAC parades was the main inspiration, according to Bogle. Concern that the marches would end when they had all died and that the war might actually be forgotten despite efforts to the contrary was also the sentiment behind the songs acceptance. A general lack of contemporary songs clearly identifiable as Australian, in the mid 1970s, also sparked interest among the younger audiences.

This recording is a non-current Dodsworth version of And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. The inevitable DADGAD version will be uploaded eventually.

It must be stated that Bogle, even in his own opinion, has written better songs on the same subject, among them 'No Man's Land' (or by it's other titles, 'Green Fields of France' and 'Willie McBride') and also, perhaps his best of all, 'For King and For Country' (None of these songs were written by anybody with the surname Furey or any surname other than Bogle - just to be perfectly clear).