From: Sinclair Hart (slobak@bcn.net)
Date: Sun Apr 11 1999 - 17:47:51 PDT
Thanks so very much for the link that sends us to "The Saga of Lilli Marlene". Have printed same and am starting a file about thesong. Tom wrote: > Have been enjoying the discussion about Lilli Marlene, I was a postwar > baby, but always loved the melody before I had any idea what the words > meant. I currently have a version on tape sung in Estonian that I listen > to often. > Here is a web page with a discussion of it's history - unless I missed a > posting it might have a little more info than I have seen thus far, but > pretty much the same story. > > http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/Digests/199707/1997.07.12.08.html > > >The british and canadian soldiers who liberated us sang, if I remember > >well, something about the Dancing Matilda and other songs I loved but > >have forgotten. > >Somehow song were an important part of the war for us kids, they > >accompanied our own games. > > >Kees Vanderheyden > > this is probably "Waltzing Matilda", an Australian song that spread to > other countries in WWII if I am not mistaken. Another lovely melody, even > if the words had little significance to me. > > Once a jolly swag man camped beside a billabong > under the shade of a kullaba tree > and he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled > you'll come a'waltzing Matilda with me > > waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda > you'll come a waltzing matilda with me > and he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled > you'll come a waltzing matilda with me. > > ...and goes on to tell how this squatter poached some game to eat, and then > was tracked by authorities, and drowned himself in the lake rather than be > apprehended, and you can still hear his voice singing near the lake or > somesuch... > not a very direct WWII connection to say the least, but maybe it was just a > good song to sing while marching....