Unofficial Anthem
Does a simple song about a jolly swagman rebelling against squatters
and troopers, whose ghost lives on by a billabong, have the makings of
a national anthem? Perhaps the controversial features of 'Waltzing Matilda'
mitigated against its adoption by the Australian people as the official
national anthem. At times, the song had come to represent anti-establishment
sentiments. The colloquial tone of the words gave it an informal style
and their original meaning was often little understood. Some thought that
the music was possibly too rollicking to lend the required amount of dignity
to a national anthem.
Waltzing Matilda: a national
anthem? >
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