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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:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"

 Chorus:

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited till 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 tucker bag:
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

Chorus:

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

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred.
Down came the troopers, one, two, and three.
"Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."

 Chorus:

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

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

Chorus:

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

 Hints and Tips:

  • Discuss the meaning of this song and how it tells a story.

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, 
Merry merry king of the bush is he. 
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, 
Gay your life must be! 

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, 
Eating all the gum drops he can see. 
Stop Kookaburra, stop Kookaburra 
Save some there for me! 

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree, 
Counting all the monkeys he can see. 
Laugh Kookaburra, laugh Kookaburra 
That's not a monkey, that's me! 

Alternative Lyrics:

Kookaburra sits on the electric wire,
Jumping up and down, with his pants on fire.
Ouch, Kookaburra, ouch! Kookaburra,
Hot your tail must be!

Kookaburra sits on a rusty nail,
Gets a boo-boo in his tail.
Cry, Kookaburra, cry, Kookaburra,
Oh how life can be!

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Eating all the gum drops he can see.
Laugh Kookaburra, laugh Kookaburra
Gay your life must be!

Hints and Tips:

  • Search for the rhyming words in each verse.
  • Use it as part of an Australian animal theme.

I Am Australian

Category Rhymes and Songs

I came from the dream-time, from the dusty red soil plains 
I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame. 
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come. 
For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian. 

We are one, but we are many 
And from all the lands on earth we come 
We share a dream and sing with one voice: 
I am, you are, we are Australian 

I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains.
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come
I'm a bushy, I'm a battler, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira, I paint the ghostly gums
I am Clancy on his horse, I'm Ned Kelly on the run
I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

There are no words of comfort that can hope to ease the pain
Of losing homes and loved ones the memories will remain
Within the silent tears you’ll find the strength to carry on
You’re not alone, we are with you. We are Australian!

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

There are so many heroes whose stories must be told
They fought the raging fires of hell and saved so many souls
From the ashes of despair our towns will rise again!
We mourn your loss, we will rebuild. We are Australian!

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains
I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky, the rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian
I am, you are, we are Australian!

We are one... We are many... We are Australian!

Hints and Tips:

  • Instead of teaching the whole song, you can just teach the Chorus and the First Verse.

I've been to cities that never close down, 
From New York to Rio and old London town, 
But no matter how far or how wide I roam, 
I still call Australia home.

I'm always trav'lin', 
And I love being free, 
And so I keep leaving the sun and the sea, 
But my heart lies waiting — over the foam. 
I still call Australia home. 

All the sons and daughters spinning 'round the world,
Away from their families and friends,
But as the world gets older and colder and colder,
It's good to know where your journey ends.

But someday we'll all be together once more,
When all of the ships come back to the shore,
I realize something I've always known,
I still call Australia home.

But no matter how far or how wide I roam,
I still call Australia, I still call Australia,
I still call Australia home.

Hints and Tips:

  • With the children talk about why they love Australia, their favourite thing to do, best place to go etc.

This Australian song with actions, it's about a man who loves and is proud of his home, the country he lives in and the relaxed lifestyle of Australia.  It also has a set of mime actions accompanying the chorus

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