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The Band Played Waltzing Matilda original guitar chords by
The Pogues
The Pogues
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1985•Folk•514 views•
Key: A major•
Intro 1
A
A

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A

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A
A

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A
A

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Verse 1
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A

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D
D

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When I was a young man
A
A

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I carried my pack

E
E

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A
A

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And I lived the free life of a rover
E
E

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From the Murray's green basin
D
D

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A
A

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to the dusty outback
E
E

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A
A

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I waltzed my Matilda all over
E
E

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Then in nineteen fifteen
D
D

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A
A

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my country said "Son,
E
E

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it's time to stop rambling,
D
D

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A
A

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'cause there's work to be done"
D
D

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So they gave me a tin hat
A
A

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and they gave me a gun
E
E

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A
A

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And they sent me away to the war
Chorus 1
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A

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D
D

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A
A

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And the band played "Waltzing Matilda"
E
E

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As we sailed away from the quay
D
D

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And amidst all the tears
A
A

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and the shouts and the cheers
E
E

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A

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We sailed off for Gallipoli
Verse 2
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A

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D
D

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A

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How well I remember that terrible day
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E

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When the blood stained the sand
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A

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and the water
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E

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And how in that hell
D
D

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A
A

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that they called Suvla Bay
E
E

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We were butchered like lambs
A
A

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at the slaughter
E
E

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Johnny Turk he was ready,
D
D

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A
A

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he primed himself well
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E

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He showered us with bullets,
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D

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A
A

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and he rained us with shells
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D

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And in five minutes flat
A
A

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he'd blown us all to hell
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E

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A
A

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Nearly blew us right back to Australia
Chorus 2
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A

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D
D

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A
A

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And the band played "Waltzing Matilda"
E
E

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As we stopped to bury our slain
D
D

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And we buried ours,
A
A

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and the Turks buried theirs
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E

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A
A

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And it started all over again
Verse 3
A
A

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D
D

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Now those who were living
A
A

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did their best to survive
E
E

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A
A

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In that mad world of death, blood, and fire
E
E

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And for seven long weeks
D
D

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A
A

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I kept myself alive
E
E

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While the corpses around me
A
A

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piled higher
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E

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Then a big Turkish shell
D
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A
A

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knocked me arse over tit
E
E

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And when I awoke
D
D

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A
A

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in my hospital bed
D
D

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And saw what it had done,
A
A

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Christ I wished I was dead
E
E

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Never knew there were worse things
A
A

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worse than dy ing
Chorus 3
A
A

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D
D

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A
A

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And no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
E
E

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To the green bushes so far and near
D
D

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For to hang tent and pegs,
A
A

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a man needs two legs
E
E

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A

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No more waltzing Matilda for me
Interlude 1
A
A

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A
A

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Dadd9
Dadd9
4

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D
D

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A
A

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A

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A
A

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E
E

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A
A

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E7
E7

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A

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D
D

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A7
A7

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A7
A7

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E7
E7

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A
A

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A

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A

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Verse 4
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A

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D
D

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So they collected the cripples
A
A

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the wounded and maimed
E
E

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And they shipped us back home
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A

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to Australia
E
E

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The legless, the armless,
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D

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A
A

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the blind and insane
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E

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A
A

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Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
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E

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D
D

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A
A

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And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
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E

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I looked at the place
D
D

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A
A

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where me legs used to be
D
D

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And thank Christ there was nobody
A
A

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waiting for me
E
E

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A
A

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To grieve and to mourn and to pity
Chorus 4
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A

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D
D

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A
A

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And the band played Waltzing Matilda
E
E

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As they carried us down the gangway
D
D

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But nobody cheered,
A
A

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they just stood and stared
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E

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A
A

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And they turned their faces away
Verse 5
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A

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D
D

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And now every April
A
A

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I sit on my porch
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E

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A
A

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And I watch the parade pass before me
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E

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I see my old comrades,
D
D

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A
A

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how proudly they march
E
E

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A

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Reliving their dreams of past glory
E
E

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I see the old men,
D
D

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A
A

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all twisted and torn
E
E

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The forgotten heroes
D
D

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A
A

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of a forgotten war
D
D

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And the young people ask me,
A
A

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"What are they marching for?"
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E

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A
A

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And I ask myself the same question
Chorus 5
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A

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D
D

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A
A

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And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
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E

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And the old men still answer the call
D
D

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But year after year
A
A

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their numbers get fewer
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E

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A

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Some day no one will march there at all
Outro 1
A7
A7

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D
D

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C#m
C#m
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Bm/D
Bm/D
2

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Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
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A

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E
E

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Who'll go a- Waltzing Matilda with me?
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A

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E
E

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A

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D
D

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A
A

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A

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E
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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • A

  • D

  • E

  • Dadd9

    4

  • E7

  • A7

  • C#m

    4

  • Bm/D

    2

Capo: 0

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Pogues is A major.

The primary chords used in The Band Played Waltzing Matilda are A, D, E, Em, C#m, Bm.

To play in the original key, place your capo on the 2 fret.

Yes, this version uses open chords like A, D, E, Em, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

If the simplified chords are too easy, you can visit the original chords page for a more advanced arrangement.

The tempo of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda is approximately 104 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with The Pogues.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add The Band Played Waltzing Matilda to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Pogues on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.