The People’s Songbag
“a couple of men waltzing Matilda down in the billabong” and Paterson was delighted by this regional phrase. The threads moved closer together. Even so, Paterson might never have written “Waltzing Matilda” if a furtheir coincidence had not thrown a singer in his path. A neighbouring stationholder invited the Macphersons to . watch a demonstration of some new fire-fighting equipment. They went, taking Paterson with them—and among the other guests they met a trained baritone, Herbert Ramsay, a cousin of the owners. In the evening Christina sat at the piano to play “Craigielea.” Paterson hastily wrote down line after line of his poem and passed them to Ramsay, who sang them. A folk-song was born —a song that has become one of the prized possessions of a people.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30793, 3 July 1965, Page 12
Word Count
130The People’s Songbag Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30793, 3 July 1965, Page 12
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Acknowledgements
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