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And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

[Eric Bogle]

June Tabor sang Eric Bogle’s best-known song unaccompanied in March 1975 on her first BBC Radio 1 John Peel session and in 1976 on her first solo album Airs and Graces. The latter recording was also included in 1993 on her compilation album Anthology and in 2005 on her 4 CD anthology Always, and in 1997 on the Dressed for Peace anthology Poppies.

June Tabor commented in the original album’s sleeve notes:

Written by Eric Bogle and learned from Jane Herivel. Gallipoli is a peninsula on the European side of the Dardanelles in Turkey. The Allied Expedition—Churchill’s plan to create a second front—landed in April 1915 and finally withdrew in January 1916 with a healthy respect for the courage of “Johnny Turk” and precious little else. Anzac Day, 25 April, commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand forces, and is a public holiday in those countries.

Tickawinda sang And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda on their 1979 album Rosemary Lane.

Woodbine Lizzie sang And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda in 1979 on their Fellside album By Numbers.

Every year on 25 April, Lucy Ward is invited to sing And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda at the annual ANZAC Day service held at the Gallipoli Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas. She seldom performs it in concert, however 25 April 2014 was the final date of her band’s debut tour and she decided to perform the song to a packed house at The Grand Pavilion in Matlock Bath:

Lucy also sang this song as an encore at the Heidbarghof in Hamburg on 12 November 2014. Thank you so much, Lucy!

Lyrics

Please find the lyrics for this song at Eric Bogle’s website (PDF document).

Sorry, I can't show the lyrics here as I don't have the copyright owners' permission to publish them. But please feel free and ask me to send you the song's lyrics.