Waltzing Matilda 羊毛工的自由頌

近來在家陪老爸看橄欖球賽，只要有澳洲隊出賽，唱完正經八百的國歌之後，一定還要全場大唱Waltzing Matilda ，通常有一位歌手在前面領唱，如果在澳洲球場，看台上就會傳來如雷般轟然的歌聲。

去年看到《國家地理雜誌》的介紹，才知道這是一首很特別的歌曲。1895年，一位班鳩‧帕特森('Banjo' A.B. Patterson)在聽聞剪羊毛工人罷工的事件後，寫下了這首歌的歌詞，配上當時流行的舞曲，廣受歡迎。後來又有人修改這首歌，目前比較常聽到的是Marie Cowan 1903年改寫的版本。

 原來這首歌説的不是名叫Matilda的女孩的故事。Waltzing Matilda 是指帶著鋪蓋流浪的意思。歌詞大意是：饑餓的流浪工人偷宰了到池塘邊喝水的羊，當警察來找他時，他寧願投水而死也不願被捕，死後靈魂徘徊水邊歌唱。

這樣一首描寫偷羊賊的歌曲竟然廣受歡迎，可能是因為歌頌了自由不羈的精神，正合澳洲人口味吧。 我自己第一次聽這首歌時，只覺得是很好聽的民謠，知道歌的內容後，更加喜愛。我想我的個性也很像那個寧死也不願被補的流浪工人。

網路上可找到成山的資料討論這首歌曲，有興趣的人繼續去追吧。

 

Waltzing Matilda

by Banjo Patterson

Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabongs
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree
And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda my darling
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda and leading a waterbag
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up came the jumbuck to drink at the waterhole
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee
And he sang as he put hime away in the tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda my darling
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda and leading a waterbag
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up came the squatter a-riding his thoroughbred
Up came policemen one two three
Whose is the jumbuck you've got in the tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda my darling
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
Waltzing Matilda and leading a waterbag
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up sprang the swagman and jumped in the waterhole
Drowning himself by the Coolibah
And his voice can be heard as it sings in the billabongs
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

Waltzing Matilda

by Marie Cowan

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came troopers one two three
Whose that jumbuck you've got in the tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong
You'll never catch me alive said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

延伸閱讀：

Roger Clarke’s Waltzing Matilda Home-Page

Waltzing Matilda 資料集

 

 

幾個演唱版本

Waltzing Matilda  演唱者不詳

 

Waltzing Matilda  演唱者：Noel Watson

 

Waltzing Matilda  演唱者：Peter Dawson 1938