And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda the younger generation becomes apathetic to the veterans and their cause. At its conclusion, the song incorporates the melody and a few lines of lyrics of the 1895 song "Waltzing Matilda" by Australian poet Banjo Paterson. Many cover versions of the song have been performed and recorded, as well as many versions in foreign languages. The song is an account of the memories of an old Australian man who, as a youngster had travelled across rural Australia with a swag (the so-called Matilda of the title) and tent. In 1915 he had joined the Australian armed forces and been sent
Waltzing Matilda at the old billy boiling, Who'll come a "roving Australia" with me? "Chorus:" Who'll come a "rovin" (rest missing) Who'll come a waltzin' Matilda with me? Waltzing Matilda and leading a "tucker" bag. Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?</poem> It has been suggested that these changes were from an even earlier version, and that Paterson was talked out of using this text, but the manuscript does not bear this out. In particular, the first line of the chorus was corrected before it had been finished, so the original version is incomplete. The first published version, in 1903, differs slightly