And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
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"And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is a song, written by Eric Bogle in 1972, that commemorates the battle of Gallipoli between Australian, New Zealand (Allies) and Turkish (Central Powers) forces during the First World War. It is written from the point of view of a young Australian man who is sent to Gallipoli. The song incorporates the melody and a few lines of "Waltzing Matilda's" lyrics at its conclusion. The song has been covered by the Clancy Brothers, June Tabor, Slim Dusty, John Williamson, The Dubliners, Joan Baez, Skids, Christy Moore, The Fenians, and the Pogues. Midnight Oil has a live version of the song which has circulated on the Internet. The Pogues cover is perhaps the best-known version; critic Robert Christgau wrote that Pogues vocalist Shane McGowan "never lets go of it for a second: he tests the flavor of each word before spitting it out." [1]
The song is often praised for its haunting imagery of the devastation at Gallipoli. The protagonist in the story loses his legs in the battle, and after the war notes the passing of other veterans with time, as younger generations become apathetic to the veterans and their cause. The song, written in 1972, has also been interpreted as paralleling with the Vietnam War. The song rails against jingoism and the romanticising of war. As the old man sits on his porch, and watches the veterans march past every ANZAC Day: "The young people ask what are they marching for, and I ask myself the same question".
American Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor winner Senator Bob Kerrey sang the song to his supporters at the end of his Presidential campaign in 1992, and borrowed the first line for the title of his autobiography, When I Was A Young Man: A Memoir.
