Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda | Reaction

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  • čas přidán 14. 03. 2022
  • #ericbogle #ericboglelive #ericboglelive #thebandplayedwaltzingmatilda
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Komentáře • 1,6K

  • @stephenfitzpatrick9189
    @stephenfitzpatrick9189 Před 2 lety +595

    Not to celebrate , but to remember and not forget . Anzac Day is not a celebration , it's a day of appreciation , recognition , grieving , remorse and respect .

    • @sandrarobinson3266
      @sandrarobinson3266 Před 2 lety +2

      Some of these may be new to you, we really do things so differently to Yanks, noticed this not just in normal Movies and War Songs but how they react to ours, may Question why we go to places that cost us the most in men to Celebrate, Have to say its to Commemorate and Remember, so next time we do better at avoiding war.
      Look up song on YT will find version with Visuals using old Footage and Photos.
      czcams.com/video/cZqN1glz4JY/video.html
      czcams.com/video/MGlpxviu8PY/video.html Try these two versions.
      czcams.com/video/E9A4ARtbmFk/video.html This one has great old footage from The Last Anzac.
      Should also check out Brashear
      czcams.com/video/uDWaujc93xE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/BhT6ZPVnIFE/video.html Long version better gives Context at start.
      czcams.com/video/jdNLR0Ao1Cg/video.html
      czcams.com/video/p7dm_nbjNjE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/7yuZ4vowQJc/video.html
      czcams.com/video/0V6UX442HWA/video.html If feeling Fragile do stop watching at18.00 minutes, remember few of our horses made it home, that's all you need to know. In typical Aussie style nothing is glorified.
      czcams.com/video/QBHbHEtsmT0/video.html
      czcams.com/video/OGilYtQq2uE/video.html Everyone forgets we ended up beating Turks. czcams.com/video/npuZ990vvak/video.html
      czcams.com/video/eZJZu34XQk0/video.html Black Fella Anzac please share. also below czcams.com/video/9nCYboIUq1o/video.html 3 min History for song our forgotten ANZACS
      KOKODA czcams.com/video/RydSdjW5zi4/video.html
      Different KOKODA czcams.com/video/xG0M3GNM4TQ/video.html
      Ever noticed the huge difference between Aussie way of remembrance and songs from USA it is like we speak a different language.
      czcams.com/video/Q20DUaIzYJg/video.html

    • @meganwilliams2962
      @meganwilliams2962 Před 2 lety +49

      Yes, it's a commemoration, not a celebration.

    • @krismcgrath2816
      @krismcgrath2816 Před 2 lety +37

      Lest we forget.

    • @Brisbaneguy30
      @Brisbaneguy30 Před 2 lety +2

      The Pogues cover is better

    • @doodlegassum6959
      @doodlegassum6959 Před 2 lety +13

      @@krismcgrath2816 exactly, lest we forget

  • @donnachatterton1639
    @donnachatterton1639 Před 2 lety +1028

    Waltzing Matilda is a song about a man who is roaming around Australia on foot. The pack of his possessions and bedding roll that he carries is known as a Matilda….or a swag. The guy singing this song talks about how he was roaming freely, waltzing his Matilda all over Australia, before he joined up to go to war. He was sent to Gallipoli, which is in Turkey, where this dreadful part of world War 1 was taking place. Australian and New Zealand soldiers (ANZACS) suffered heavy casualties and withdrew 10 months later. My great uncle fought there from the initial landing on April 25th, 1915, until the withdrawal. He was then sent to the Somme in France, by all accounts even worse than Gallipoli, where he fought until the end of the war in 1918. Sadly, he died at the young age of 52. Every April 25th is now called Anzac Day, where we remember those gallant young men who sadly lost their lives for nothing. ☹️

    • @janehealy2351
      @janehealy2351 Před 2 lety +104

      Couldn't have said it any better Donna, thank you!

    • @donnachatterton1639
      @donnachatterton1639 Před 2 lety +20

      @@janehealy2351 no worries! 😊

    • @elizabeth10392
      @elizabeth10392 Před 2 lety +61

      Spot on Donna. I had a Great Uncle who fought at Gallipoli too. He then served on the Western Front and was gassed with mustard gas. He died young too. 😢

    • @donnachatterton1639
      @donnachatterton1639 Před 2 lety +44

      @@elizabeth10392 it’s awful what was done to so many young men and women. My dad fought in New Guinea in WW2, from aged 18-23. Should have been the best years of his life. He died at 60 of a heart attack. ☹️

    • @TheKira699
      @TheKira699 Před 2 lety +34

      My great Uncle Cecil fought there as well, they probably knew each other. Sad as that is. He did come home, wrote his memoir which consists of a little black book. I never got to meet him.

  • @oldscotty
    @oldscotty Před 2 lety +272

    I am 86 years old-a Scottish vet, and this song always makes me cry at the terrible waste of war. And it still happens, and our"leaders" still march us into hell!

    • @NathanNeilsen
      @NathanNeilsen Před rokem +10

      I'm a young man who has never seen war. This song makes me cry too.

    • @anngabriel5455
      @anngabriel5455 Před rokem +5

      God bless you young soldier thank you for your service and bravery. I always cry along with you.🇦🇺🇦🇺❤️❤️🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

    • @markmanning2451
      @markmanning2451 Před rokem

      The futility of war, now happening in Ukraine of course. While there is money to be made in armaments, there can never be peace! I cannot believe the prisoner swap of a notorious arms-dealer in prison in America serving 25 years for a basketball player and while Governments have that attitude, there will never be peace. Perhaps the end would be Armageddon.

    • @markmanning2451
      @markmanning2451 Před rokem

      Waltzing Matilda, waltzing is a dance.

    • @daviddempsey8721
      @daviddempsey8721 Před rokem +2

      Michael, your compassion is commendable. I do too.
      I’ve worked along side many military folks when a boffin, and they are among the very best of us. So a double sadness when they die in service.
      The professionalism of the Australian forces and leadership is well known. A far cry from the way British officers were sometimes recruited.
      When required to run missions, minimising risk is a very serious part of the consideration.

  • @nickabbott6278
    @nickabbott6278 Před 2 lety +130

    This song encapsulates the foundation myths of three nations. Turkey, New Zealand and Australia. I was taught that we remember our defeat (Australia and NewZealand) not as a celebration of victory, but as a remembrance of the cost of freedom.

    • @Jeannine2007
      @Jeannine2007 Před 2 lety +6

      Beautifully said, Nick. Hi from Sydney 👋

    • @glennplumb2313
      @glennplumb2313 Před rokem

      Full of inaccuracies that insult Anzacs it’s not our song we didn’t land at suvla

    • @nickabbott6278
      @nickabbott6278 Před rokem +2

      @@glennplumb2313 Totally agree with the Suvla comment. The English stopped to make tea whilst the attack at the Neck was happening I believe (though I may be wrong).

    • @OriginalRizzler
      @OriginalRizzler Před rokem

      invading turkey for britain didn't protect or give us any freedom.

  • @lbd-po7cl
    @lbd-po7cl Před 2 lety +362

    The specific campaign this song is about is the attempt by British allied forces (mostly Australian and New Zealand, but also British, French and Canadian) to invade Turkey at Gallipoli to secure the Dardanelles Strait. The campaign was an utter disaster and over 130,000 men died (87,000 Turkish soldiers and about 44,000 Allied troops). The Turks successfully defended their land and the Allies retreated after many months of bitter fighting. Despite the fact that we were invading their country, a strong bond of friendship developed between Aus, NZ and Turkey. The founder of the modern Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk dedicated a memorial to both sides of the conflict at Gallipoli with these words:
    "Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
    So it is possible for warring nations to reconcile - something to think about at this time.

    • @nonacee5065
      @nonacee5065 Před 2 lety +19

      Very tearful sentiment.

    • @strayandrongo7461
      @strayandrongo7461 Před 2 lety +34

      Wish we had leaders like that at the moment

    • @justlinsu
      @justlinsu Před 2 lety +23

      Oh my goodness those words are amazing. Praying that the same words reach the current conflict between Ukraine & Russia... Thank you for posting it.

    • @nonacee5065
      @nonacee5065 Před 2 lety +13

      @@strayandrongo7461 love your handle. Wonder how many people will realise just how ocker it is.

    • @danodonoghue8014
      @danodonoghue8014 Před 2 lety +22

      The allied losses included 4,000 Irish soldiers from the Royal Munster fusiliers, the Royal Dublin fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers, the Leinster regiment and the Royal Irish Rifles

  • @robbrowne8814
    @robbrowne8814 Před rokem +27

    One of Dad’s uncles was at the Gallipoli landing. I can remember in the 70s, just before my little trip to Vietnam, him saying he did not have to wade ashore, they just ran over the bodies. Put the wind up me for sure considering where I was going. He survived Gallipoli and was gassed in Flanders, married an English nurse and made it back to live a long and good life. Lest we forget.

  • @ozzmanzz
    @ozzmanzz Před 2 lety +190

    What an amazing contraption CZcams is. Here I am in OZ listening to you on the other side of the world talking about what is almost our national song. Having once been a proud, young Australian soldier but now just an old man, this tune always brings a tear to my eye.

    • @vexile1239
      @vexile1239 Před 2 lety +5

      Thank you from a (34 years old*) for your service
      * edit: sorry I've been up since 3 am

    • @ozzmanzz
      @ozzmanzz Před 2 lety +5

      @@vexile1239
      I appreciate your kind words.

    • @roostersbays95
      @roostersbays95 Před rokem +4

      same hear mate..

    • @odenttraipser5833
      @odenttraipser5833 Před rokem +5

      Thank you for your service. We may grizzle and gripe about some of the political decisions, but thanks to you and your fellow service men, we live in the best country in the world.

    • @ozzmanzz
      @ozzmanzz Před rokem +3

      @@odenttraipser5833 Thank you for taking the time to write this, it means a lot to me. And yes, I think we are in the best country in the world.

  • @danw3735
    @danw3735 Před 2 lety +28

    I burst out in tears when I heard the lyric "And the young people asked, what are they marching for?"

  • @carolinekaeser
    @carolinekaeser Před 2 lety +172

    Thank you for actually looking into the story of it rather than just judging the vocals. This is why I love your reactions and your channel.

    • @ThatSingerReactions
      @ThatSingerReactions  Před 2 lety +21

      Thank you so much

    • @daisho13
      @daisho13 Před 2 lety +14

      Yeah, he's really keen to understand context, I really appreciate that about him 👍

    • @cristop5
      @cristop5 Před 2 lety +1

      @@daisho13 And at 1 o'clock in the morning..

    • @robertparker4833
      @robertparker4833 Před rokem +5

      G’day from Sydney matey. Appreciate your respect for the ANZAC legacy. Onya ! 😎🇦🇺👍🏻

  • @user-ky6vw5up9m
    @user-ky6vw5up9m Před 2 lety +29

    When someone sings this in a bar the place goes quiet.

    • @Rondigity92
      @Rondigity92 Před měsícem

      There's an incredible video of a guy singing this at a pub

    • @Rondigity92
      @Rondigity92 Před měsícem

      czcams.com/video/Y64RcDmVk98/video.htmlsi=Gb2owUrbB2BSvlB2

  • @21smam
    @21smam Před 2 lety +44

    According to my great uncle who was in Gallipoli they thought they were going off for a great adventure with their mates but instead it was hell…..right up until he was 98 he made sure he was at the ANZAC dawn service and made us younger generation promise never forget the mighty ANZACs

  • @doubledee9675
    @doubledee9675 Před rokem +13

    You're allowed to cry - I'm a man now in my late 70's and still cry at this.

  • @shaz464
    @shaz464 Před 2 lety +125

    My beloved grandfather fought in that war, at Gallipoli and in France. He was wounded 3 times before he was sent home but was never really the same. This song always reduces me to tears.

    • @ThatSingerReactions
      @ThatSingerReactions  Před 2 lety +8

      Wow so sorry to hear that 😢

    • @vinsgraphics
      @vinsgraphics Před 2 lety +7

      My great grandfather as well. Lied about his age to get in. He carried shrapnel in his legs for the rest of his life, never able to walk in his later years. But he was a funny guy, wrote jingles for radio commercials in Perth. Passed away in his 90s.

    • @seelee1371
      @seelee1371 Před 2 lety +7

      Maybe our forefathers met each other while fighting side by side! 3 of my family brothers left our shores 1 died at Gallipoli 1 died in France 1 returned wounded. This touching song by Eric Bogel describes the terror /pain & futility of War. Lest We Forget

    • @shaz464
      @shaz464 Před 2 lety +5

      @@seelee1371 I have all my grandfather’s war records including a copy of a hand written letter from his brother back in South Australia, begging for information about him as they had not heard anything of him for a year. Turned out he was in hospital in England recovering from injuries. I also have his medals, including a much treasured Gallipoli medal.

    • @vinsgraphics
      @vinsgraphics Před 2 lety +4

      @@seelee1371 Anything is possible. His last name was Adam, descended from the famous Scottish architects. I believe he was at Gallipoli and later in France. A good thing he made it back, or I’d not be here. Lest We Forget!

  • @kathyboschen6719
    @kathyboschen6719 Před rokem +11

    I wrote to Mr Bogle once to compliment his work, he wrote back. Such a lovely man.

  • @Anonymous551656
    @Anonymous551656 Před 2 lety +27

    I appreciate your honesty here. Not knowing the foundation, but being willing to learn the background of the song. Props, mate.

  • @petercoco2561
    @petercoco2561 Před 7 měsíci +24

    You did an amazing job figuring out such a complex song with no prior knowledge, you went the extra step and learned the context and grew intellectually and emotionally right in front of my eyes in only 15 minutes. Gallipoli is the most horrific battle in history but you have honored those slain by your respect. So unusual for young people today. You have a new fan.

    • @TomMcCormick-rx2xy
      @TomMcCormick-rx2xy Před 4 měsíci

      I agree, amazing to see a critical response develop in 'real time '. Respect to this reviewer to have the courage and confidence to share this with us. Hopefully this story will be never forgotten.

  • @Hudnut52
    @Hudnut52 Před 2 lety +222

    Way too much to unpack here. This song means a lot more when you know the history. On top of the information in the other comments:
    - Johnny Turk is the nickname given to the Turkish forces
    - ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corp) forces landed at Gallipoli beach in Suvla bay, Turkey, which was lined cliffs heavily fortified with machine guns. Heavy casualties.
    - The ANZACS fought under British commanders. They were only an Army Corp, not their own Army. Gallipoli was one catalyst to get ANZAC forces under their own command as a separate force. It is considered a founding part of the Australian Nation, causing us to rethink England as the "mother country" and forging our own identity.
    - It also entrenched our relationship with our Kiwi (NZ) brethren.
    - Trench warfare ensued. Some of the Turks and ANZACS got to know each other well.
    - There were pauses in fire to allow casualties and dead to be recovered, before the fighting started again. Sometimes there were hours of agreed ceasefire to give both sides a break. Some trenches were only 5m apart. Turks and ANZACs could talk to each other in the trenches. One story has a soldier with a fantastic voice who used to sing every night. One night the voice did not sing, and the opposing side yelled out to ask if he was all right, to discover he had been KIA.
    - Now, on ANZAC day every year there is a pilgrammage to the dawn service at ANZAC cove, Gallipoli. With the cooperation of the Turkish Government, for which we are grateful.
    These famous, heart-rending words, attributed to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was a commander of Ottoman forces at the Dardenelles during the first world war and later the founder of modern Turkey, grace memorials on three continents, including at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
    "Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

    • @40ofchips
      @40ofchips Před 2 lety +17

      Well said. Lest we forget.

    • @micheledix2616
      @micheledix2616 Před 2 lety +9

      Thank you well explained

    • @darkiee69
      @darkiee69 Před 2 lety +3

      It was the British who landed at Suvla bay, not the ANZAC's. They landed to the south of Suvla.

    • @Sharon-be4df
      @Sharon-be4df Před 2 lety +9

      Makes me cry every time. This song and those words from Attaturk. 😢💞🇦🇺🇦🇺

    • @21smam
      @21smam Před 2 lety +9

      Lest we forget 💕 …and the woke teaching our kids want it forgotten 😢

  • @fugawiaus
    @fugawiaus Před 2 lety +43

    At the very end of the song, the last couple of stanzas, he sings “waltzing Matilda”. You’ll notice the change. Just a couple of lines.

  • @augustawalden5538
    @augustawalden5538 Před 2 lety +57

    Not sure if anybody has remarked that this style of song is called a ballad. Ballads were part of oral history and tradition.

    • @thatbird2
      @thatbird2 Před 2 lety +3

      Yes. The Ballad tells a story. I get so frustrated with people who describe a slower song as a "ballad." Many ballads were actually news items shared by and large via traveling minstrels, and balladeeers. They were transformed into song as a memory aid.

    • @dan7242
      @dan7242 Před 2 lety +3

      @@thatbird2 The other thing is that they rhymed. It took a while for me to realise that rap is a form of up tempo baĺlad

    • @thatbird2
      @thatbird2 Před 2 lety +1

      @@dan7242 Yes. Ditto, hip-hop. (Louis Armstrong said that it was all Folk Music anyhow, and he based that on the premise that he'd never heard no horse sing. haha)

  • @pwblackman
    @pwblackman Před rokem +6

    As an Australian whose grandfather fought it that terrible war, wounded on two seperate occasions and sent back to the battlefields, this song brings me to tears.

  • @sociallyawkwardqueen6303
    @sociallyawkwardqueen6303 Před 2 lety +68

    Waltzing Matilda is a very special song/poem to Australians.

    • @jano9091
      @jano9091 Před 2 lety +6

      You’ll need to research some of the words, like swagman, Matilda, billabong, jumbuck, coolabah….

  • @pamgorjup9601
    @pamgorjup9601 Před 2 lety +53

    This song is about the Anzac in world 1 where a lot of Australia and New Zealanders died and every year we have Anzac Day where we remember the soldiers that gave there lives for us

  • @becwrites
    @becwrites Před 2 lety +138

    This song, along with “I was only 19”, make me tear up every time. We had to study these songs in school, it really gave us an idea of the pain and horror.

    • @flamingfrancis
      @flamingfrancis Před 2 lety +2

      Nobody ever mentions the song which is perhapps the best of them all...In a Field in France....Kevin Johnson does one version and Jimmy Little another. Both on YT.

    • @workinginthewell3498
      @workinginthewell3498 Před rokem +3

      Green Fields of France also

    • @odenttraipser5833
      @odenttraipser5833 Před rokem

      @@flamingfrancis Thank you. I had never heard of the song before. I looked it up tonight and agree - brilliant.

    • @michaeleastham3868
      @michaeleastham3868 Před rokem

      @@flamingfrancis yep, another great Eric Bogle song. Though to call them simply songs, seems like an injustice.

    • @alking7655
      @alking7655 Před 3 měsíci

      Studied the songs in school as well, and, while I had always loved the songs and understood the context behind them, studying them in detail as a way to see the views of war truly made me cry.

  • @williambrander2714
    @williambrander2714 Před 2 lety +36

    John Munro RIP, passed away in 2018 just loved your beautiful guitar playing. Your playing was exceptional on this song, rest well you will be sadly missed.

    • @roostersbays95
      @roostersbays95 Před rokem +1

      Stoneyfell was a housing retreat for 2/27th Battalion after WW 2......my Pop and Nana, ended up with my Mum and 3 Aunties there after the floods of 1956 washed them out of Renmark...after Stoneyfell they ended up in Kilburn....Pop continued to shear and pick until his passing in 1996....the war has had negative effects on the branches

  • @liandren
    @liandren Před 2 lety +104

    To Waltz your Matilda, is to take your pack and go camping and live off the land. During the depression men often lived like this, walking from job to job just to make a living.

    • @jessovenden
      @jessovenden Před 2 lety +2

      Exactly.
      When I went backpacking around the world when I was younger, a thing many young aussies do, I used to call my trusty backpack “Matilda”.
      I was only half joking. And I did waltz her all over.
      Just subscribed.
      All your other Aussie friends (your mates 😉) have explained everything thing beautifully already, so I’ll just say thanks, and g’day from Australia.

    • @arribaficationwineho32
      @arribaficationwineho32 Před 2 lety

      Thank you!

    • @jacqualynmcatee5074
      @jacqualynmcatee5074 Před 3 měsíci

      He was a swaggie lived on the road no place to live or haven't found one yet God Bless Eric Bogle he's a folk singer Aussies love the song

  • @patriciamoore6492
    @patriciamoore6492 Před 2 lety +13

    This was powerful. It made me cry. I love how you hung in, looked it up and really appreciated it.

  • @mark_22222
    @mark_22222 Před rokem +12

    The reaction wasn't meant to be about the musicality of the artist and song, what is so immensely powerful and brilliant about this song is the poetry and message of the lyrics. It is heart wrenching to say the least. Respect to all veterans of war.

  • @whiteswanlilly4119
    @whiteswanlilly4119 Před 2 lety +55

    This song always makes me bawl my eyes out. I had not heard this version of it before, and now I am sitting in the car bawling before having to go into a shopping centre. Thank you for listening to this song and understanding as much as you can of what it is about.

    • @mariemiller8740
      @mariemiller8740 Před 2 lety +3

      I'm Scottish and we got taught it in school I now live in Australia

    • @polarisnorth
      @polarisnorth Před 2 lety +5

      This is the original version, isn't it? The first version I heard was June Tabor, and then the Pogues, but iirc Eric Bogle wrote both this and The Green Fields of France.

    • @peterbyrnes698
      @peterbyrnes698 Před 2 lety

      Lily...me too

    • @Jus7aguy
      @Jus7aguy Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@polarisnorth Yes he's the original artist. Though his cadence and timing and a few words here and there have changed through the years I believe. I have heard a version of this song back when he was 30 years younger, and the intonations etc were a bit different. I honestly preferred his earlier style, but this is great too.

    • @saladin6233
      @saladin6233 Před 2 měsíci

      @@polarisnorthThis is a later version. Eric Bogle is the song writer and performs it regularly on the folk circuit. If you want a song of his that will tear you to pieces, try “No Man’s Land” , often covered as “Green Fields of France”

  • @badyball412
    @badyball412 Před 2 lety +20

    Lump in my throat every time 😪
    Proud to be Australian , we live a lucky life due to their sacrifices.

  • @tonyhancock625
    @tonyhancock625 Před 2 lety +228

    hey Nick ... you are proving that Americans can self educate themselves and read n listen about other peoples stories and their reality ... i truly wish more Americans were like you but at least you are a great start for that concept and a great person when it comes to reaction videos ... Tony in Sydney Australia

    • @ThatSingerReactions
      @ThatSingerReactions  Před 2 lety +55

      Thank you for this man I try my best man. I usually just go with whatever I go with. I think reactions should not be planned. You should just do it and let whatever flows flows

    • @lyndam67
      @lyndam67 Před 2 lety +15

      @@ThatSingerReactions in April we pay our respects to the ANZACS who have fought and died, not just at Gallipoli, but in all wars where we have fought along-side our allies, including the US and UK. We honour them and mourn them on the 25th April which is also public holiday. Many of our returned service men and women march in their uniforms with the medals on display, or their children or grandchildren carry on the tradition so that we never forget them. Those who are unable to march are sometimes in vehicles so they can participate. Lest We Forget.

    • @Snomonkey88
      @Snomonkey88 Před 2 lety +14

      Too true. I spent a few months in the US, staying with some American friends in New Jersey, and the subject of Anzac Day did come up. I played them this song, and they were dumbfounded, stating they had absolutely no idea that Australia ( or NZ) was even a part of WW1, then asked if we were involved in WW2. They aren't stupid or ignorant people, but genuinely had no idea, as they are only ever taught about their own involvement

    • @daviddempsey8721
      @daviddempsey8721 Před 2 lety +7

      @@Snomonkey88 True. Some visiting defence science people from the USA were astonished about the range of topics they had no ideas about. Especially the dates of the start of WWII. Being open to our own ignorance starts the education.

    • @sandrastout8507
      @sandrastout8507 Před 2 lety +4

      @@ThatSingerReactions I found your channel by chance, and I love it. Hearing your thoughts about these iconic Aussie songs and the pure joy and amazement on your face when hearing the first notes makes me so happy....
      There's a brilliant movie that you should watch. It's a true story that depicts the very essence of being an Aussie. Mateship, courage, determination, dignity and loyalty.
      It's called Danger Close and it's about the Battle of Long Tan, during the Vietnam War

  • @gordowg1wg145
    @gordowg1wg145 Před 2 lety +20

    50 odd years after the song was written and not only the children, but grand children, great grand children of the survivors march in remembrance of the sacrifices so many have made during war.

  • @NRTSean
    @NRTSean Před rokem +7

    This always touches me ... This and 'The Green Fields Of France'... My grandad fought in ww1 ... He was poisoned by Mustard Gas and for the rest of his life only half his lungs worked... He was stoic about it. Never talked about it... But it finally caught up with him at the end... Lest we forget...

  • @delilahparnell8285
    @delilahparnell8285 Před 2 lety +17

    Thankyou for doing your research which added the meaning to this iconic Australian Anzac song for you. You’re such a pleasure to watch, respectful and humble. Brightest Blessings to You. 🦘 👋🏻

  • @MsDean1710
    @MsDean1710 Před 2 lety +80

    When you 'waltz your Matilda' it means you carry your pack or your SWAG with you as you walked the countryside.... men who did this were Often referred to as SWAGGIES. ...'to carry tent and pegs a man needs both legs......' probably the most poignant part of the song for me.

    • @starlightshimmery
      @starlightshimmery Před 2 lety +8

      Yes that part gets me every time. I think that’s a big reason this song resonates for Australians, it hits home when tied back to the original song. Brilliant songwriting.

    • @robertarmstrong5217
      @robertarmstrong5217 Před 2 lety +1

      the line is "to hunt and tent peg" tent pegging was a sport based on the military skill to pluck a tent peg from the ground with a lance from horseback at the gallop In an attack by cavalry this would trap the enemy under their collapsed tent

    • @carlosallende2595
      @carlosallende2595 Před 2 lety +6

      @@robertarmstrong5217 "For I'll go no more waltzing Matilda
      All around the green bush far and free
      To hump tent and pegs, a man needs both legs
      No more waltzing Matilda for me"(quote taken from the song, "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda")

    • @dan7242
      @dan7242 Před 2 lety +1

      @@robertarmstrong5217 Tho Roberts interpretation is strictly correct, it changes in the context of itinerant workers of the 1900s.
      Hump= carry, Tent and Pegs = Tarpaulin shelter

  • @nzmoggy3898
    @nzmoggy3898 Před 2 lety +51

    Thank you for your respect. ANZAC day marches are not to celebrate but to remember, to respect the memories of all those who have served, and honour those who continue to serve. As a New Zealander (and any Australian will tell you the same) every town has a War Memorial to those who lost their lives and you would have difficulty finding any family who was not touched by war especially WWI & WII. My Uncle was part of the D Day landing and had nightmare until he died at he age of 89, my grandfather was at El Alamein and still lies there in Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery El Alamein no 1, he was aged 33. On a lighter note I suggest you watch a Haka (har kar) to see why New Zealand soldiers, especially the Maori Battalion, was so respected.

    • @utha2665
      @utha2665 Před rokem +3

      Thanks Kiwi bother. We like to poke fun at each other over the ditch, but when it comes down to the crunch we all know we have each other's backs. It's quite a unique relationship we have between our two countries and one we shouldn't take for granted.

    • @t.d.186
      @t.d.186 Před 11 měsíci

      Missing out are always those who actually *did* send these poeple into war. WW1 had the stupidest "leaders" in history.

  • @pennyscott6871
    @pennyscott6871 Před 2 lety +9

    Thank you for listening to this song. My Great Grandfather fought in Gallipoli, and my other Great Grandfather fought in the Somme in France. My Grandfather also fought in WWII in Japan. Our family has a very proud military history. My Dad was in the Air Force, and I currently have a Cousin serving in the Army. As Australian's this song resonates with us. ANZAC day is so important, and this song holds a lot of meaning and puts the story across very well of what the soldiers went through. Thank You for showing such respect in choosing to play this song.

  • @nicoleharper7565
    @nicoleharper7565 Před 2 lety +24

    This song always makes me cry. I have a great uncle buried at Lone Pine in Gallipoli, and was lucky enough to attend the 100 year (Centenary) at ANZAC Cove. I listen to this every ANZAC Day and Rememberance Day. 😭🇦🇺

  • @juliedeveson9275
    @juliedeveson9275 Před 2 lety +57

    ANZAC Day was fading away years ago, and it was songs like this that bought back the honour and respect towards our lost and returned soldiers. When COVID meant we could not have the ANZAC day March or dawn service people (including me) stood in our driveway at dawn with lit candles, and in my neighbourhood some one was out playing the Last Post on a trumpet. It was incredibly moving. For many years I would get up at 4am to go and set up the PA system for our local dawn service free of charge, because there is no way I could charge for this, even though it is my job.

    • @roseannebyrne7233
      @roseannebyrne7233 Před 2 lety +2

      I think it’s also a string reminder that AnZAC Day is about commemorating the dead and not the party it’s being turned into.

    • @jeffrorussow8110
      @jeffrorussow8110 Před 2 lety +1

      G'day mate, watch a Anzac day March, and you'll see the pride all of us old diggers so proudly marching in rembering our falling comrades including you yanks who fought beside us many a time...God bless...

    • @thatbird2
      @thatbird2 Před 2 lety +1

      Everybody in our small street stood out in our front yards, ditto, with all radios tuned to the ABC and the dawn service in Canberra. As soon as the Last Post faded away, the bells were tolled at the local cathedral, just a block away. Chilling...

    • @freetowhat
      @freetowhat Před rokem

      ANZACS The Miniseries, Gallipoli, The Lighthorsemen from the 80s played their part in reviving respect for ANZAC history as Diggers from WWI started to dwindle. I feel it gave us the jolt we needed to push through the sentiments from Vietnam.

    • @KateBates22zabu
      @KateBates22zabu Před rokem

      I learnt this from the movie Gallipoli with Mel Gibson. Powerful movie

  • @andymark949
    @andymark949 Před 9 měsíci +2

    I am so thakful for young people like you who give us old geezers a chance. I am Viet Nam combat vet. We have stories to tell. Our music was much different than todays hip hop and rap. Music always changes and rightfully so. But to see some young person willing to listen and appreciate is fresh and inspiring, that perhaps, there are yet a few who will hear us. Abundant blessings to you and all of your followers. A final note: we all know wars are horrific. Nobody likes them. But when evil stands up, the saints NEED to stand up....and take them down. Ugly, but true. Again, thank you young man. I so appreciated watching you watch. A beautiful, though short, journey. I love you for it.

  • @rowbearly6128
    @rowbearly6128 Před 2 lety +14

    An anti war song. Im 53, and this still makes me cry. I remember seeing the disfigured and disabled veterans from WW1,2,Korea,Malaysia, Vietnam..when I was a little kid. My Grandad told me about war, he was in plenty.

  • @rauyphotography7433
    @rauyphotography7433 Před 2 lety +33

    So glad you looked up some extra info on this classic.
    Eric wrote this song after attending his first ANZAC Day which is kinda like Memorial Day in the USA
    It is commemorated every year on the 25th of April which is date Australia and New Zealand first went into combat in World War One.
    Both countries had only recently become independent from the British Empire. For Australia 300,000 volunteers from a population of 3 million served in World War One
    Waltzing Matilda is originally a bush poem by one of Australia's greatest poets, Banjo Paterson, it is now a song and marching tune, it is the story of a Swagman who steals a sheep and rather than getting arrested jumps into a billabong (lake) and drowns himself.
    This song really pulls at the heart strings

    • @geraldineallen6810
      @geraldineallen6810 Před 2 lety +1

      Yes. I love this song. I am old and remember when ANZAC day was fading from the national consciousness. Hence the lines in the song about the young people asking what it was about, and the reply that it was about a forgotten war. Since this song, I have seen the rise of nationalism around ANZAC day, and think this song played a part in that. However, I think people at ANZAC day are now close to crossing a line and glorifying war, which is exactly what this song does not do.

    • @rauyphotography7433
      @rauyphotography7433 Před 2 lety +3

      @@geraldineallen6810 no soldier or veteran seeks to glorify war, this is a very sombre day, a day I never miss a dawn service

    • @alking7655
      @alking7655 Před 3 měsíci

      I recently went to the Dawn Service in Melbourne this year (2024) and it was a sombre service. It is never a day I glorify, for that is not what war should be about.
      It is a day I commemorate, remember fallen, and thank service men, women and their families for what they have done for our country.
      "What are they marching for?"
      They march as a call to honour those comrades who didn't come back, who paved the freedom for us to walk with liberty.

  • @elizabeth10392
    @elizabeth10392 Před 2 lety +20

    No man's land ( made famous by the Furies as ' Green Fields of France') is another Eric Bogle song about young men and WW1 and war in general. Eric is a fantastic balladeer.

  • @davidfarnell583
    @davidfarnell583 Před 2 lety +37

    Being an Aussie this song always brings a tear to my eye. Loved your take.

    • @monique8641
      @monique8641 Před rokem +3

      I was feeling the same way as I listened again. My uncle fought in Singapore, was captured and was a prisoner of war. One night the Japanese soldiers entered the quarters, took all the men outside, shoved them against the wall and shot all of them. Although this was long before I was born, I hear the song and think of my uncle and how much the family was affected by his loss.

    • @someonerandom8552
      @someonerandom8552 Před rokem

      This song always gives me goosebumps
      Even though unlike many others here, I don’t have any personal stories from family in the service. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m a proud born and bred Aussie. I have nothing but respect for our ANZACs and the suffering they have had to go through
      Lest we forget

  • @stevenshoulder
    @stevenshoulder Před 10 měsíci +2

    I first heard Eric Bogle in 1981. His music moved me to tears back then and it still does today. Unsung hero...

  • @angelinasimon
    @angelinasimon Před 2 lety +16

    As an Aussie, this song always makes me emotional.

  • @HMAP792
    @HMAP792 Před 2 lety +41

    As an Australian I had heard of this song before, and had heard that it was about the war but never knew exactly what it was about. Thankyou for looking it up on video because it educates us all.
    You definitely need to listen to Waltzing Matilda.

    • @denicesanders4586
      @denicesanders4586 Před 2 lety +2

      My grandmother's favorite song.

    • @sandrarobinson3266
      @sandrarobinson3266 Před 2 lety +1

      Look up song on YT will find version with Visuals using old Footage and Photos.
      czcams.com/video/cZqN1glz4JY/video.html
      czcams.com/video/MGlpxviu8PY/video.html Try these two versions.
      czcams.com/video/E9A4ARtbmFk/video.html This one has great old footage from The Last Anzac.
      Should also check out Brashear
      czcams.com/video/uDWaujc93xE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/BhT6ZPVnIFE/video.html Long version better gives Context at start.
      czcams.com/video/jdNLR0Ao1Cg/video.html
      czcams.com/video/p7dm_nbjNjE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/7yuZ4vowQJc/video.html
      czcams.com/video/0V6UX442HWA/video.html If feeling Fragile do stop watching at18.00 minutes, remember few of our horses made it home, that's all you need to know. In typical Aussie style nothing is glorified.
      czcams.com/video/QBHbHEtsmT0/video.html
      czcams.com/video/OGilYtQq2uE/video.html Everyone forgets we ended up beating Turks. czcams.com/video/npuZ990vvak/video.html
      czcams.com/video/eZJZu34XQk0/video.html Black Fella Anzac please share. also below czcams.com/video/9nCYboIUq1o/video.html 3 min History for song our forgotten ANZACS
      KOKODA czcams.com/video/RydSdjW5zi4/video.html
      Different KOKODA czcams.com/video/xG0M3GNM4TQ/video.html
      Ever noticed the huge difference between Aussie way of remembrance and songs from USA it is like we speak a different language.
      czcams.com/video/Q20DUaIzYJg/video.html

  • @Windowswatcher
    @Windowswatcher Před 2 lety +12

    This song always makes me cry….and it’s very hard if I’m singing and playing it to keep myself together. But ex-service men have come over to me with tears in their eyes to thank me.

  • @robee2323
    @robee2323 Před 2 lety +8

    Thank you ThatSingerReactions for showing this song the respect it deserves. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful Australian song ever written.

  • @ariadnepyanfar1048
    @ariadnepyanfar1048 Před 2 lety +49

    You nailed the meaning of the song on the head. I'd write more about why the mismanagement of the Gallipoli campaign in WW1 caused white Australians as a nation to stop thinking of Britain as the Motherland they identified with first, and to start thinking of themselves as distinctly Australian first with a seperate identity to the British colonisers, but I unexpectedly burst into tears at the end of the song and I want to cheer up.
    Eric Bogle wrote another devastating and hauntingly beautiful song about WW1 called No Man's Land, about William MacBride who was "only 19 when you joined the glorious Fallen".

  • @occupiedaustralia9952
    @occupiedaustralia9952 Před 2 lety +18

    Lest we forget Nick , the ones who have fought and died before in two world wars , and God forbid they manipulate us into another world war.

  • @godfroi10991
    @godfroi10991 Před 2 lety +7

    As a former member & Veteran of the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) This song gives me chills every time. Waltzing Matilda was our Battalions official Marching song, so between that & my Grandfather Serving in WW1 I have a deep emotional reaction to this. Thanks for giving it a listen mate!

  • @kookymonsta6566
    @kookymonsta6566 Před rokem +7

    This song is very raw for my family. My maternal grandfather fought at Gallipoli. He lasted 3 days.

  • @davenorman8251
    @davenorman8251 Před 2 lety +53

    This song is almost the perfect story of my great grandfather he was a dairy farmer from new south wales who fought in WW1 when he got back he was a mess he cried almost everyday and would wet his pants when frightened. My father worked the farm as a little boy while his dad was at war (WW2) only to have him come back hurt and die 4 years after and when it came time for conscription to Vietnam my dad was ready to run..but his name never came up..War isn't fun for families, I grew up without grand parents because of war.

    • @sandrarobinson3266
      @sandrarobinson3266 Před 2 lety

      Try These links Look up song on YT will find version with Visuals using old Footage and Photos.
      czcams.com/video/cZqN1glz4JY/video.html
      czcams.com/video/MGlpxviu8PY/video.html Try these two versions.
      czcams.com/video/E9A4ARtbmFk/video.html This one has great old footage from The Last Anzac.
      Should also check out Brashear
      czcams.com/video/uDWaujc93xE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/BhT6ZPVnIFE/video.html Long version better gives Context at start.
      czcams.com/video/jdNLR0Ao1Cg/video.html
      czcams.com/video/p7dm_nbjNjE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/7yuZ4vowQJc/video.html
      czcams.com/video/0V6UX442HWA/video.html If feeling Fragile do stop watching at18.00 minutes, remember few of our horses made it home, that's all you need to know. In typical Aussie style nothing is glorified.
      czcams.com/video/QBHbHEtsmT0/video.html
      czcams.com/video/OGilYtQq2uE/video.html Everyone forgets we ended up beating Turks. czcams.com/video/npuZ990vvak/video.html
      czcams.com/video/eZJZu34XQk0/video.html Black Fella Anzac please share. also below czcams.com/video/9nCYboIUq1o/video.html 3 min History for song our forgotten ANZACS
      KOKODA czcams.com/video/RydSdjW5zi4/video.html
      Different KOKODA czcams.com/video/xG0M3GNM4TQ/video.html
      Ever noticed the huge difference between Aussie way of remembrance and songs from USA it is like we speak a different language.
      czcams.com/video/Q20DUaIzYJg/video.html

    • @saoirsejb
      @saoirsejb Před 2 lety +2

      My grandfather too. I understand what you're saying

  • @samanthaharrison4921
    @samanthaharrison4921 Před 2 lety +24

    This style of singing is more Australian folk music, and you are correct its more about the story.
    We need to get you to watch a few clips of Australian slang and our country specific wording for different things, so you understand some of the older songs from the get go.

  • @daveyjones6465
    @daveyjones6465 Před 2 lety +5

    Thank you for looking up the meaning of this song this should be taught in all schools.
    The enduring of not only physical injuries but of the mental and emotional pain should never be forgotten.

  • @captcaveman82
    @captcaveman82 Před 2 lety +6

    Crying over here! Love the song and loved your discovery of Eric's amazing questioning of war and the celebration of its horrors

  • @donnam5891
    @donnam5891 Před 2 lety +9

    This always brings me to tears. I've only heard versions where Eric is much younger. I truly love this one. Redgum's song, I was only 19 also makes me cry.

  • @alicecobb7763
    @alicecobb7763 Před 2 lety +8

    Heartfelt indeed!! Thanks so much for really hearing this song, researching, and understanding it. Best reactions so far. 👍... Cheerio from Down Under 🌺

  • @brendawilsom7170
    @brendawilsom7170 Před 2 lety +7

    Only an Australian would understand the emotion this song provokes. Not the young australian but the older ones. I cry every time I hear this rendition. It does not glorify war. The story is powerful.

    • @gretchenadamek3517
      @gretchenadamek3517 Před 10 měsíci

      Not just Australians, some Americans may feel the same. Include me among them. This song breaks my heart.

    • @andymark949
      @andymark949 Před 9 měsíci

      No offense, but you are wrong. I am a Viet Nam vet and I appreciate this song immensely.

  • @elizagaskell7957
    @elizagaskell7957 Před 2 lety +6

    Thank you for being respectful of the spirit of the ANZAC and educating yourself of other peoples culture. Every ANZAC Day, many Australians and New Zealanders make the pilgrimage to Turkey for the Dawn Service at the commemorative site on the Gallipolli Peninsula. I hope to go there one day to honour the fallen.

  • @aussiekat6379
    @aussiekat6379 Před 2 lety +14

    It’s just a beautiful song and every year you can hear it being played on ANZAC Day which is a huge deal to us Aussie as we pay our respect to our Diggers in the armed forces in all 3. Gallipoli is very important to us we lost so many brave man who were their, my great uncle was their he came late to Gallipoli and was one of the lasted to be shipped out from their to France where he die in one of the worst fighting battles in WW1 at the age of 20 he names is on the remembrance wall built in Villers-Bretonneux in France. To read his letters that he sent home to his mother and his sister (my great grandmother) from Gallipoli and France is an honour and so humbling and of course one of pride. The hardships and the living hell they all endured so we can live the life we have today, they paid with their lives so we can live in freedom. Lest We Forget🇦🇺😔💔🌺🇦🇺

  • @Reneesillycar74
    @Reneesillycar74 Před 2 lety +11

    Many others here have given great & heartfelt back stories to this iconic song but I just wanted to add that our ANZAC commemorations are larger than ever! Young people are proudly stepping up to walk in the parades & standing tall wearing their family’s medals. There is no doubt that our elderly heroes are dwindling however we, as a nation, will never let them be forgotten. Nor those who served in the more recent past & those currently serving. Lest we forget.
    My grandfather was a lighthorseman & mechanic in WW2, he never spoke of the war.
    Thanks Dom, wonderful reaction ✌🏼

    • @sandrarobinson3266
      @sandrarobinson3266 Před 2 lety +1

      My Niece who just had her 1st Baby asked me if I wanted her to take my place this year, due to Covid down time she learnt a lot, am Proud to have her take Medals from 3 wars may Dad and his father and grandfather fought in and March, turns out that Three of them are going March one for each Generation, they lost their Grandad at start of Covid, they found photos of him in Uniform, were surprised he must not have spoken about it to them know he never spoke to my Sister & Brother about it, I was only one he opened up to about.
      Here are some links you may have missed
      .Look up song on YT will find version with Visuals using old Footage and Photos.
      czcams.com/video/cZqN1glz4JY/video.html
      czcams.com/video/MGlpxviu8PY/video.html Try these two versions.
      czcams.com/video/E9A4ARtbmFk/video.html This one has great old footage from The Last Anzac.
      Should also check out Brashear
      czcams.com/video/uDWaujc93xE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/BhT6ZPVnIFE/video.html Long version better gives Context at start.
      czcams.com/video/jdNLR0Ao1Cg/video.html
      czcams.com/video/p7dm_nbjNjE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/7yuZ4vowQJc/video.html
      czcams.com/video/0V6UX442HWA/video.html If feeling Fragile do stop watching at18.00 minutes, remember few of our horses made it home, that's all you need to know. In typical Aussie style nothing is glorified.
      czcams.com/video/QBHbHEtsmT0/video.html
      czcams.com/video/OGilYtQq2uE/video.html Everyone forgets we ended up beating Turks. czcams.com/video/npuZ990vvak/video.html
      czcams.com/video/eZJZu34XQk0/video.html Black Fella Anzac please share. also below czcams.com/video/9nCYboIUq1o/video.html 3 min History for song our forgotten ANZACS
      KOKODA czcams.com/video/RydSdjW5zi4/video.html
      Different KOKODA czcams.com/video/xG0M3GNM4TQ/video.html
      Ever noticed the huge difference between Aussie way of remembrance and songs from USA it is like we speak a different language.
      czcams.com/video/Q20DUaIzYJg/video.html

  • @drychaf
    @drychaf Před 2 lety +11

    I've never been able to listen to this song without the tears flowing. This is nowhere near the best version of it, and yet I was gone again by the time he'd arrived in Galipoli. One of the most important songs ever written.

    • @moderatemiss2281
      @moderatemiss2281 Před 7 měsíci

      Yes this isn’t his best version but every version makes me cry

  • @alisonnicol6343
    @alisonnicol6343 Před 2 lety +7

    Im an Aussie and I was just having an Eric Bogle BINGE man! Was about ready to crack a fit about an American doing Bogle but am very pleased you showed decent respect. He's.like our poet laureate.
    In case you didn't know, that's the actual "waltzing Matilda" he sings at the.end.
    AND his song Shelter SHOULD be our actual national anthem ❤️

  • @bon7572
    @bon7572 Před 2 lety +7

    Every time I listen to this song I have a little tear... God bless the ANZACS, LEST WE FORGET

  • @starlightshimmery
    @starlightshimmery Před 2 lety +20

    My Australian History teacher at school used to play this for us in class. Such a moving song.
    The part from 15:07 onwards is from the actual Waltzing Matilda song.
    Just hearing this song again had me in tears. Now all these years on all the original Anzacs are long gone but the young people march for them. Not glorifying, just never forgetting. And we can never forget - it’s about sticking together when there is insanity all around us - quite topical, really.

    • @starlightshimmery
      @starlightshimmery Před 2 lety +2

      Just adding it’s sung in a bush ballad style with a beautiful lilt to the voice which is very much a traditional form for Australian songs going back to Irish / Celtic and also rural British music. American country music has similar roots.

    • @alisont5464
      @alisont5464 Před rokem

      Pretty sure we learnt it in history at school too.

  • @roosterman7588
    @roosterman7588 Před 2 lety +5

    Thank you for dissecting this song, I know Eric Bogle., and this song is a part of Australian folklore.It brings a tear to my eye every time i hear it. Wars dont solve anything. God protect the people of Ukraine

  • @davexstuntman
    @davexstuntman Před 2 lety +10

    This song reminds me of how innocent I was when I joined the army.
    It reminds me off all the brothers and sisters who never came back just right from deployments.
    It’s a tear jerker on ANZAC Day.
    Let’s all pray WW3 don’t break out, I’m too old now to put my friends in body bags.
    Peace Out 👍

  • @annashort4409
    @annashort4409 Před 2 lety +6

    This is why I love you and your channel so much, you take the time to truly understand and learn - and you're right, when you understand a lyric, it changes the entire meaning of a song and how it makes you feel.

  • @chookinathunderstorm3446
    @chookinathunderstorm3446 Před 2 lety +8

    The lyrics about....around them the bodies piled higher.....reminds me of my grandfather who was an ambulance man at Gallipoli. This meaning that he was assigned to looking after the donkeys and horses and also taking them out under fire to bring back any wounded he was able to hear calling out and also under the cease fire times. The bodies were piled so high they were always close to the living and could be identified as comrades, friends, even relatives. Australia's population was so small, so the battalions were formed from people who all came from the same towns or country farming areas and generally knew each other and their families back home.
    The experience that would haunt my grandfather the most was the indelible memories of seeing, like the other soldiers, but also handling, the bodies of people whose personalities and lives and families he knew, that were infested with flies and maggots and would often come to pieces as he tried to untangle and remove the wounded in order to pack wounds and get them mounted to rescue them by leading the donkey or horse back through the piles to medical care. The heat was so bad that the wounded could also be infested during a long wait for the opportunity of rescue.
    Nobody knew this until after he had died and we learned it from another source.
    We only knew he would fly into a rage about flies in the house and shut himself in his room for hours. We knew it was due to the war but didn't know the horrific details.
    The only war experience that grandfather would tell to vent stress was how the British commanders had ordered soldiers to jump into the sea, at the wrong place, to walk to the beach. The water was too deep, the men were weighed down with packs and weapons and those that came from the dry inland regions couldn't swim ior hold their breath for long enough in any regard.
    Those used to rough coastal swimming and as a circumstance had strong breath holding abilities, force walked under the ocean until their heads were in the air. However while they were wading they were easy targets for the Turks. Even easier as they crossed the beach to try and shelter against the cliffs.
    Grandfather, a strong 6 ft plus teenager, saw his very first deaths of friends and commrades all around him as, totally submerged, he pushed through clear water to emerge to the loud gunfire and the yelling and screaming of the hit men around him.
    It makes war movies and games look so inadequate and unrealistic....but even though we all know that ......we really don't know the full extent of the horror of real war.
    Unfortunately we are getting a glimpse now of the horrors of the inhumanity of realwar, especially on innocents, in Ukraine.
    More power to the Peace Makers.

  • @dotspot5847
    @dotspot5847 Před 2 lety +7

    This brought tears to my eyes, it’s the kind of song you would hear in a folk club in Australia or the UK, not sure if there’s an equivalent in the US.

  • @carolinewaugh9546
    @carolinewaugh9546 Před 2 lety +3

    Thank you for taking the time and interest in this beautiful but sad Aussie tribute song. It says so much about the futility and devastation of war, which you, living in the US, know so well. 'Waltzing Matilda' is certainly one of Australia's national songs but, as Donna explains below, when someone goes 'Waltzing Matilda', it means he takes to the road and all his earthly possessions are contained in the little bag that swings at the end of the stick he carries over his shoulder. He is said to be "Waltzing Matilda". The Aussies did an incredible job during the Great War. They were brave, determined, irreverent (quite a common Aussie trait) and loyal and fought with ferocity. They were slaughtered at Gallipoli because when they landed on that shore, they looked up hills that were full of Turkish soldiers looking right down on them and they just mowed them down like ducks in a barrel, but still they came, boatload after boatload. It reduces me to tears every time I think of it and then, the poor soldiers that survived that hell, went to the Somme and fought in those rat and lice-infected hell holes they called trenches, for years. My Uncle was killed at Pozieres. His body was never found and he lies sleeping, along with so many of his mates, in those now beautiful, peaceful fields in Northern France.
    Nick you have touched my heart with the depth of your care and understanding of this song which represents the courage and fighting spirit of our Australian fighting forces. My husband is one of them. He is a Vietnam veteran. He, to this day at age 76, is still effected by the horrors and devastation of that futile war....again, thank you Nick xxx

  • @DanSchaumann
    @DanSchaumann Před 2 lety +19

    I got a bit teary watching this one, it’s such a well-written song with a deep message. My dad is a Vietnam veteran, I always think about him and what he went through when I hear this. Different war but similar tragedy.

    • @arribaficationwineho32
      @arribaficationwineho32 Před 2 lety +1

      Same. My father sang the original Waltzing Mathilda and I grew up loving it. He fought in the Bastogne in WW2 and I think they marched to it.

  • @toddavis8151
    @toddavis8151 Před 2 lety +33

    The thing with war history is that America joined the 2 world wars quite late. The story that this song tells is based in the battle of Gallipoli 1915 which was about 2 years before America actually joined that war.
    I have a dear friend over in NC who was taught that WWI started in 1917 and WWII in 1941

    • @mareebrown2163
      @mareebrown2163 Před 2 lety +5

      :(

    • @markwaters3050
      @markwaters3050 Před 2 lety +1

      The USA has always been late to join the winning side of a war that they didn't start themselves (not that the USA has won many, of the very many, wars that they did themselves start. I think that the American Civil War is the singular, conclusive own win)!

  • @cathmurphystothard6151
    @cathmurphystothard6151 Před 2 lety +4

    I learnt this song in primary school. We were taught what it all meant, line by line…that’s educating at its best.

  • @teemarie2358
    @teemarie2358 Před 2 lety +4

    This song is a treasure. Brings me to tears everytime. So very very proud of our ADF past and present. RIP DIGGERS LEST WE FORGET.

  • @Darryl_Frost
    @Darryl_Frost Před 2 lety +4

    Super respect for looking up the meaning of the song, and an Aussie it makes me tear up every time, perfectly done song. Thankyou so much for the time and respect you gave to this song.

  • @rosmeeker1964
    @rosmeeker1964 Před 2 lety +12

    There's a bit of me that feels that this sort of song comes naturally to some Scottish songsmiths. Breaks me up every time. Great comments everyone. *mentions that Tom Waits also appropriates Waltzing Matilda in Tom Traubert's Blues and it is also superbly crafted.

  • @paulgould4915
    @paulgould4915 Před 2 lety +2

    The band played Waltzing Matilda for my great uncle who was ironically of German decent . He was one of the first ANZACs. They played in for my Grandfather when he left to fight WW2 in the Pacific alongside the US. Then they played it for me when I was a young Aussie commando. My Great uncle didn't make it home. Grampa did, but only because some US Marines rescued him from a hell hole of a pit in PNG. I have an electric wheel chair, its ANZAC day in a couple of days time. I always have mixed emotions. And the band will play 'Waltzing Matilda' and I will be proud of them and all of our service men and women. Freedom always comes at a price, always has.

  • @kathyborthwick6738
    @kathyborthwick6738 Před 2 lety +6

    Tremendous respect for this song! Military family!
    Love your open mindedness and Respectful reactions!
    ✨☀️✨☀️✨👵🏽👋🏾🦅💚🦅🪶
    This is about the Great War WW1 to me-All war is horrific!
    Gallipoli Feb 9, 1915 till Jan 6 1916 - A beautiful small Southern Town in 🇮🇹 Italy 🇮🇹!

  • @Floury_Baker
    @Floury_Baker Před 2 lety +34

    Waltzing Matilda is basically Australia’s unofficial anthem. We use it to celebrate, to commemorate and mourn. You like hearing the crowd sing “You’re the Voice” - should hear a crowd singing Waltzing Matilda!
    I lost a great uncle at Lone Pine, and had 3 others who survived there and France and made it home.
    I honour them and all other who have fallen.

    • @Kevin89866
      @Kevin89866 Před 2 lety +3

      Waltzing Matilda was the closest thing Australia had to an anthem when we went to war for the first time in 1915 ww1.

    • @mkilpatr03
      @mkilpatr03 Před 2 lety

      As an Australian, I do find it odd that so many of us get misty eyed about Waltzing Matilda. The story is simple, and it involves a man stealing a sheep, getting caught and committing suicide. I see nothing inspirational in that.

  • @NathanNeilsen
    @NathanNeilsen Před rokem +4

    For someone who doesn't have any background in all of the deep Australian history and events that this song describes you connected with it perfectly. You're someone with a deep and kind soul to be able to see through the unfamiliar culture to the exact heart of the song. Us Aussies LOVE your content 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺💚💛💚💛

  • @andreww9252
    @andreww9252 Před 2 lety +5

    I love this song, it's ANZAC Day tomorrow and it never fails to move me. Thank you for taking the time to listen and understand it. ANZAC Day is like America's Day of Remembrance, it also represents a coming of age for a young nation.

  • @briangordon8061
    @briangordon8061 Před 2 lety +4

    I remember singing this song in primary school and I'm 50 now and this song still has me crying the entire song long.

  • @seanmcwha9325
    @seanmcwha9325 Před 2 lety +6

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️ That song brings me to tears every time I hear it. All because of the story being told 👍🏼

  • @markwaters3050
    @markwaters3050 Před 2 lety +4

    I was at an Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. A lady and a man walked up beside me and asked " what is this all about, why so many people?" I answered that this was a day of National remembrance for our service men and women who had fallen in war, and the parade was led by survivors in honour. They asked "which war?" When I answered "every war Australia has honestly fought in", they were astounded... they were from the USA!

  • @andymark949
    @andymark949 Před 9 měsíci +1

    I was a combat vet in Viet Nam in 1968. I flew medivacs as a corspman. For what its worth, the Aussies had a somewhat small contingent there. I can tell you, they were some of the best units there. Great guys and great soldiers. My eternal salute and gratitude to them all. And there js abreason to be proud!!!!

  • @helenmartin9150
    @helenmartin9150 Před 2 lety +1

    A granny in Australia says...just stumbled across your reaction to Eric Bogle's "And the band played Waltzing Matilda", which was released in about 1979 when I was about 35. It affected me immeasureably. Around the same time the band Redgum released "I was only 19" in a similar vein. I would love to see you listen to it, as, to this day, it reduces me to tears. Peace...right back at you. When Australia got into Vietnam in support of the US I was about 18, I marched in anti-Vietnam protests, and met many US soldiers in Sydney on R & R. My now husband, turning 18, went into a conscription lottery and won, NOT being drafted and sent over there. He was due to go into a further round, but the "lotteries" stopped just before he was supposed to go into the draw. I know many families who were shattered by it all (death and PTSD), and just don't get how diplomacy still can't stop the lunacy of war. The song "I was only Nineteen" says it all.

  • @malcolmrayner6674
    @malcolmrayner6674 Před 2 lety +21

    It is an anti war song he also wrote another one( The green Field's of France) that has been covered by the Pooges and the Furies. The swag was referred to as a Matilda and to waltz it was to go walk about

    • @jenniferleannes
      @jenniferleannes Před 2 lety +1

      I love “The Green Field’s of France” sung by Eric Bogle, but I also love the Irish band “the Dropkick Murphy’s” version too.

    • @sanabas1
      @sanabas1 Před 2 lety +1

      My youngest son came home today is another one of Eric Bogle's, that has been covered by a few artists.

    • @malcolmrayner6674
      @malcolmrayner6674 Před 2 lety +2

      @@sanabas1 I also love his Song "Now i'm easy" it has such great meaning

    • @michaelalexander2306
      @michaelalexander2306 Před 2 lety +2

      The song is actually called 'No Man's Land', but is just as powerful.

    • @sandrarobinson3266
      @sandrarobinson3266 Před 2 lety

      Few you may have missed.
      Look up song on YT will find version with Visuals using old Footage and Photos.
      czcams.com/video/cZqN1glz4JY/video.html
      czcams.com/video/MGlpxviu8PY/video.html Try these two versions.
      czcams.com/video/E9A4ARtbmFk/video.html This one has great old footage from The Last Anzac.
      Should also check out Brashear
      czcams.com/video/uDWaujc93xE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/BhT6ZPVnIFE/video.html Long version better gives Context at start.
      czcams.com/video/jdNLR0Ao1Cg/video.html
      czcams.com/video/p7dm_nbjNjE/video.html
      czcams.com/video/7yuZ4vowQJc/video.html
      czcams.com/video/0V6UX442HWA/video.html If feeling Fragile do stop watching at18.00 minutes, remember few of our horses made it home, that's all you need to know. In typical Aussie style nothing is glorified.
      czcams.com/video/QBHbHEtsmT0/video.html
      czcams.com/video/OGilYtQq2uE/video.html Everyone forgets we ended up beating Turks. czcams.com/video/npuZ990vvak/video.html
      czcams.com/video/eZJZu34XQk0/video.html Black Fella Anzac please share. also below czcams.com/video/9nCYboIUq1o/video.html 3 min History for song our forgotten ANZACS
      KOKODA czcams.com/video/RydSdjW5zi4/video.html
      Different KOKODA czcams.com/video/xG0M3GNM4TQ/video.html
      Ever noticed the huge difference between Aussie way of remembrance and songs from USA it is like we speak a different language.
      czcams.com/video/Q20DUaIzYJg/video.html

  • @johnwhear9600
    @johnwhear9600 Před 2 lety +5

    This song always brings a tear. One of my Grandfathers enlisted in 1916 (at the age of 16).

  • @andrewbydder
    @andrewbydder Před 2 lety +6

    Respect. You acknowledged that the song would mean more if you knew the background. You found out about it. You reacted genuinely. Great video.

  • @Joindque05
    @Joindque05 Před rokem +1

    63yo Aussie only song that no matter how many times hear it , I tear up " LEAST WE FORGET "

  • @yyon3smith602
    @yyon3smith602 Před 2 lety +11

    Interestingly, "Waltzing Matilda" was one of 4 songs included in a national referendum to choose Australias national athem in 1977 (to replace the existing song "God save the Queen") (spoiler alert: it didnt win - only got 28% of the vote) . It was a song everyone knew and sang at the time, though the subject matter WAS bit problematic for a national anthem!
    The other choices for the National Anthem were : "Advance Australia Fair" (got 43% of the vote), "God Save the Queen"(19%) and "Song of Australia" (10%)
    Here is an world war 2 video of Australia soldiers marching and singing some of the verses from Waltzing Matilda, from the Australian War Memorial collection. czcams.com/video/WWqmQlSScI0/video.html

  • @liandren
    @liandren Před 2 lety +11

    Waltzing Matilda is a song about a sheep stealer, who commits suicide in a lake rather than let the cops take him alive.

    • @mareebrown2163
      @mareebrown2163 Před 2 lety +1

      that is how come my gg grandfather arrived in Australia. lol. Except it was a lamb and he was hungry. He got life.

  • @eshiestrik2756
    @eshiestrik2756 Před 2 lety +3

    This song always brings me to tears. So many young men from my grandparents' families died or were injured in the 1st World War. 😥 So proud of our young men who gave their all for freedom ♥️ 🇭🇲🇭🇲🇭🇲❤️

  • @loissaedder2214
    @loissaedder2214 Před 2 lety +33

    This song always makes my hair stand on end and gives me goosebumps. So powerful for any Australia or New Zealander.

    • @monique8641
      @monique8641 Před rokem +1

      I was feeling exactly the same way as I heard it again. The goosebumps and always a tear. Eric Bogle captured the emotion of the war when he wrote this brilliant song. It came to represent all those who didn't return from the 20th and 21st century wars as the Gallipoli veterans left us for eternal peace.

    • @cgkennedy
      @cgkennedy Před rokem +2

      Eric Bogle emigrated to Australia from Scotland and never has lost his accent.

    • @loissaedder2214
      @loissaedder2214 Před rokem +2

      @@cgkennedy friend of mine is the same. Been here since the 60s. Her family in Scotland reckon she has an aussie accent.

    • @malcolmscrivener8750
      @malcolmscrivener8750 Před rokem

      @@cgkennedy We have an old record of my Scottish grandfather saying “Purrrrple Orrrrranges “.

    • @Custis3
      @Custis3 Před rokem

      I play this in my World History class (USA)

  • @craigperry7376
    @craigperry7376 Před 2 lety +4

    Glad you enjoyed & understand what that song was actually about. Yes it’s deep if you really listen to the lyrics. As an Aussie that song goes deep & takes me back to my Great Uncle JJ A Higgins who went away to fight for the Mother Country (England) in the 1st World War, & never returned home.

  • @Jumdabum
    @Jumdabum Před 2 lety +7

    The term "waltzing matilda" basically means back-packing. For someone roaming, their pack was known as their matilda and so it became slang to say someone was waltzing matilda which meant they were roaming around without a fixed residence. I hope this provides further insight into our weird culture haha. Take care and maybe you could waltz your way over here one day 😊

  • @roostersbays95
    @roostersbays95 Před rokem +3

    There have been numerous famous bands and singers who have covered this song with multi million views for each rendition alone on You Tube...you have chosen a gem brother

  • @marknankivell7956
    @marknankivell7956 Před 2 lety +1

    An anthem for those who gave so very much for our freedom.
    Lest We Forget.
    ✌️❤️🇦🇺❤️✌️