Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda | AUSTRALIAN MUSIC REACTION

Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda | AUSTRALIAN MUSIC REACTION
This is my reaction to Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
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Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda | AUSTRALIAN MUSIC REACTION

[@MertAus]

I am really enjoying these Australian music reactions. Every song and performance I have watched so far has just been of the highest quality from the voice of the performer to the meaning of the lyrics. This was no different. In fact it is one of my favourites so far. Eric's voice really captured the meaning of the song so perfectly. He was able to convey the grittiness of the song as well capturing the emotion of what he is singing about and paint a graphic picture. Recommend me some more music from him and tell me what you thought about this one. Thanks

[@see_horse]

In the same vein of war songs, Bogle also does "No Man's Land" - kind of a companion to this song. You can find the performance from the same concert here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g16WaYN4lJqisMU

[@briansmaller7443]

The Pogues did a great version of this song as well.

[@antheabrouwer3258]

Australians are speaking out against all the wars that young boys who have been conscripted to wars that are not our own. Mostly only poor boys were sent. Rich parents orchestrated so their children were protected. I think The English and American governments should pay compensation. How our country works, wherever you are born, if you apply for Australian citizenship, you are Australian. Eric Bogle is a wonderful singer-songwriter.And very talented.

[@6226superhurricane]

sayonara nakamura -- ted egan

[@6226superhurricane]

clancy of the overflow - wallis and matilda

[@redwarpy]

I was born in Dundee Scotland, family came to Australia in 1962 when I was 3 1/2 years old and the ANZACs are not forgotten here. You cannot live here and not be affected by the history, it becomes part of you. During the pandemic no gathering was allowed, so for the Dawn Service we stood at the end of our driveways and listened to the radio to commemorate our fallen.

[@tonyneal4716]

Yes, We all stood at the end of our driveways too at 6am.

[@tonyneal4716]

Unfortunately, in fifty years time ANZAC Day will only be remember by a few due to the dynamics of the Australian demograhic.

[@denisebates1231]

unfortunately only those who understood the Anzacs sacrifice from where i live in NZ.

[@BarbaraHenley-l3d]

My Grandfather was born in Dundee he came to Australia in early 1890s he joined up to WW1 and he was a stretcher bearer he was at Gallipoli and the Western Front and Egypt while on the Western front he and other stretcher bearers for 3 days under fire as the war fought all around them went to the battle field to carry our wounded for over a mile to an aid station he was Awarded the Military Medal for Bravery I am so proud of him and the many others that served this Country to give me the life I have ,I joined the Army in 1978 a young 17 year old female I never see battle I am proud to serve.

[@johnnybee2517]

Remember that some of the convicts were also from Scotland so you are in fact one of us. I believe that's how the Aussies got their accent, we're a mixture of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh accents.

[@slowraceultra]

I tear up every time I hear this song. Tears of pride and sorrow.

[@StephBer1]

My grandfather fought in World War 1. He never marched in the Anzac Parades until his 80s, after he started to get dementia. Before that, he was too angry and upset over the stupid loss, so my Mum told me. He never respected England or the Royal Family again. He was at Gallipoli and nearly every major battle in France, as so many Aussies were. World War 1 was just a bloodbath. My Granddad was shot in 3 different battles in France, through the arm, the leg and then finally, through the neck. He survived them all although the neck paralysed him for 3 months . His diaries are so graphic. The mud, bodies, his best mate dying, the "mountain" he saw one night at the hospital after he was shot in the leg. He saw the next day that the mountain was actually a pile of bodies waiting to be buried after the brutal battle. He was sent to England after he was paralysed, and after a few weeks started regaining feeling. Eventually the doctors put him to work in the hospital to build up his strength and he learnt to dress wounds. Unbelievably, although he would still get sudden weakness in his left side, he was sent back to the front as an ambulance driver! He wasn't sent to fight because his "dropsies" meant he might drop his rifle, but apparently he was fine enough to occasionally drop badly wounded soldiers. He didn't marry until he was nearly 50, because the doctors constantly predicted his death from his neck wound. I'm his youngest grandchild and vaguely remember him. I asked my Grandmother one day if he was angry at what he went through. She said yes, but some days he was more angry, and confused that he had survived when most of his mates hadn't, and what a waste it was. I always think of him during this song and think that if he had heard it, he would weep for all the young men he knew who never came home. Thank you for playing this and listening with such respect.

[@DingoDin]

This story is heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing. I can only respond by saying your ancestors were so strong and you have their energy. Honour them and you honour yourself ❤

[@olenfersoi8887]

Thank you for sharing. It is amazing that you have such detail to share, and granddad's diary as well. I had two uncles that fought in WWII & I know almost nothing about their wartime experiences, Neither ever talked about them, though they both survived to become, respectively, a pediatrician and a lawyer in NYC. Luckily, my father (their brother), as a teacher was exempt from serving in the military..

[@cherilewolf9077]

What to say to you,I was a protester for Vietnam as we did at the end of high school as the law changed that all our male school friends had to register for constription,7 from every 10 had to go for interview to go to Vietnam or 2 years in prison,so your future had a black mark in it So terrified we were of our school mates having to go to war.😢And we still talk about this today.

[@davidmclauchlan8261]

Gallipoli is ingrained into us Aussies as a devastatingly high number young men from here died in wars far from our shores . I tear up every time I hear this !

[@MertAus]

Thanks for letting me know

[@davidmclauchlan8261]

If you like Aussie songs try True Blue by John Williamson

[@coreenavenn4235]

@@MertAus many soldiers from the UK, South Africa, India, & Canada also went to Gallipoli. Winston Churchill has the idea to invade Europe from Turkey. He had to resign from parliament. Keep in mind the horrific injuries that needed plastic surgery. It was primarily developed for WW1 soldiers with disfigured faces

[@aaronhutchen1319]

@@coreenavenn4235 yes thats true. but Australia's entire population during ww1 was about 4 million people, over 416 thousand people volunteered for the war effort about 38 percent overall. men aged between 18 and 44 (unofficially people lied about their age to join. Of that, 8700 australians died and 18000 were wounded at galipoli. Australians acknowledge (even at the time) we had/have no beef with turkey and dont harbour any ill will toward them.

[@londonhodnet4079]

Bad leadership

[@muzza1967]

Australia suffered nearly 18% casualties (not including injured) of its forces, and New Zealand was just over 18% compared to Great Britain and Ireland at 12.5% and the USA at 5%. That's one of the reasons WW1 has such a big impact on us.

[@angusmckenzie9622]

@ muzza When the Brits put you in the first line over the top, why be surprised at the percentages ?

[@karistone1297]

Yep. We were basically cannon fodder.

[@iantreefellow]

I'm from NZ, we lost about O.3% of our entire population at Gallipoli, by the end of WW1, nearly 3% of our population was dead at the other end of the world. I have 1 great great Uncle & 1 great uncle buried in Flanders in ww1, each of my Grandfather's have a brother killed in WW2, 1 in North Africa and 1 in Italy. ANZAC day is a time to remember to honour and to grieve what could have been of these young men. I gaze at my 2 son's in their 20's and am grateful they don't have to do this.

[@jgsheehan8810]

He is Scottish born and migrated to Australia as a young adult and been here since. His writing and his singing delivery really hit home. Circular Quay is in Sydney.

[@MertAus]

Yeah the writing and delivery on this were just a level above most other songs and performances I have ever heard.

[@wyattfamily8997]

@@MertAus Check out the Liam Clancy performance of the same song, I think it's better and more emotional.

[@bobknightfolk]

@@wyattfamily8997 Yer haverin, The original is always best.

[@leglessinoz]

Yeah he's from Peebles in the Scottish Borders.

[@pearl-pf6xz]

@leglessinoz wow, that's were my pop was from. What a connection. Pop came here as littleun. Survived Gallipoli and got shot up in France.

[@stevefoulston]

Gallipoli By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died: at least 87,000 Ottoman soldiers and 44,000 Allied soldiers, including more than 8700 Australians. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a sixth of all those who had landed on the peninsula nobody wins in war. Peace out.

[@suemillist9544]

When he wrote this in 1971 Anzac Day was suffering due to the utter stupidity of our involvement in the Vietnam War & had fallen out of favour to a small extent. Now, thousands attend Dawn Services & the Anzac Parade, not to celebrate war but to celebrate the sacrifice of all service men and women & songs like this reinforce why, as a nation, we have never fought in a war of our own making.

[@roslynjonsson2383]

The graphic images this song puts in our heads, is the exact reason we Aussies and New Zealanders love this song - our future generations can't say "we didn't know", because this song, and "I was only 19" makes sure they do know what war is truly like with the bandaid ripped off. My grandkids, and hopefully their grandkids will still be going to ANZAC day marches 25th April, and still bowing their heads in remembrance on Armistice Day / Memorial Day (depending on your generation) 11am 11th day of the 11th month because of these songs, that all Aussies share and listen to. Lest We Forget

[@MertAus]

That is very true, at least the future generations can know what those who went before them went through. These songs really are works of art

[@roslynjonsson2383]

@@MertAus Yep, they sure are, and are very celebrated here in Aus and NZ. Please if you get the chance, watch the movie "Danger Close" - its about the battle of Long Tan, and is attached to the song "I was only 19" during the Vietnam war - and if you do watch it, watch until the VERY end after they go through the list of names - would LOVE you see just how many Scottish born Aussies fought in that battalion.

[@Bellas1717]

Lest we forget.

[@roslynjonsson2383]

@@Bellas1717 Thank you so much for that Bellas - I sat here for ages with the word on the tip of my tongue, and it just wouldn't come. Correction made, cheers......and now that I re read what I said, no, these songs are celebrated - we commemorate the occasion, but we celebrate the music used

[@Reneesillycar74]

Lest We Forget

[@theghost6412]

If "I was only 19" kicks the heart like a mule, then "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" hits like a runaway freight train. No one has no hope in hell of weathering the pain of this one. One thing came from WW1 and that is a closeness of friendship and respect between Australia and Turkey, many Turkish families moved to settle in Australia.

[@justjj4319]

THIS.Respect for the Turks notwithstanding what happened. ... as children we were taught to see it from the Turkish perspective as well as the sorrow for our own.

[@PeterLeeds-eg8ld]

I weep every time. Heartbreaking. And still, boys are sent to wars.

[@blueenglishstaffybreeder6956]

Can’t listen to this song without ever crying no matter who’s singing it, the Dubliners, Liam Clancy, the pogues, Eric Bogle is a special songwriter, both my grandfathers fought at Gallipoli, my dads dad also fought in WW11, this should be an Anzac Day anthem

[@denisewest7166]

My Dad is a WW11 Veteran who is still alive. He joined 4 times underage. One the 4th attempt he got in. He had his 16 the birthday fighting in the jungle of New Guinea. They found out his age when he got really sick then had his leg and hip full of lead. Home he went.Soon as he recovered he joined with General MacArthur in Sydney and went right through to the Battle Of Leyte Gulf. He was 18 in that battle. This song brings him to tears as he was five years old when his dad died from the horrific effects of WW1 also he thinks of his mates that didn’t come home. He marches still on Anzac Day for them, not himself ❤ Thank you for playing this

[@grandmothergoose]

Australian culture generally is very good at accepting the harsh reality of war. Our ANZAC day and Remembrance Day aren't treated as celebrations but as commemorations full of sombre reflection and respect. These types of songs both reflect and encourage that culture and keep it alive. The battle of Gallipoli was a harsh lesson for Australia, and we refuse to forget, and ever other battle of every war since has only reinforced the seriousness of war. The celebratory patriotic fanfare, hero worshipping, and flag waving that some other cultures prefer to use to glorify their military and war vets, is seen by most Aussies as tasteless at best, offensive at worst, and just flat out wrong all round.

[@user-ed8bk6rz9s]

Australia is SO blessed to be made up of people who have come from all over the world. So not only do we claim them as Aussies but they can be loved and admired by the lands in which they were born. And by everyone else who loves their music. This song makes me cry every time I hear it. I’m a 2nd gen Pom on dads side and Scottish and Australian on mums. Thanku for you lovely reaction.🇦🇺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@bluedog1052]

Waltzing Matilda is Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) with one's belongings in a swag (matilda), it's an old poem by the very late and very great poet Banjo Paterson, although there is speculation about this. Later the poem was turned into an Aussie folk song in which Eric describes the ANZACs are listening too.

[@MertAus]

Great, thank you for explaining the background to the song

[@Bellas1717]

The swag is a rolled up and knotted bundle of belongings with a stick pushed through the knot, the stick then placed over one shoulder. The swag Matilda (a female name) swings from side to side - waltzes - as the drover walks.

[@Bellas1717]

@@mysterial_1 wow!!! That’s amazing! You must be so proud.

[@aaronhutchen1319]

@@Bellas1717 a swag is like a sleeping bag, you are thinking of the thing the hobos carry while train hopping.

[@Bellas1717]

@@aaronhutchen1319 No, I’m referencing the swagman of the early 1800s and his bedroll of belongings - sleeping bags hadn’t been invented then. Cheers.

[@mrslbw]

My great grandfather was killed in WW1, but officially went 'missing in action' as his body was never found. Probably shelled to smithereens. Thing is he left 12 children and a wife, my grandmother being the eldest child. His war widow did not receive a war widow's pension for 2 years because the Australia government of the day held the view of no body, no pension. My grandmother and her younger sister left school aged 13 and 12 and went into service as maids. Grandma told me it was the Chinese immigrants who had a market garden that kept them fed with cabbages and onions. So much for conscription. He also fought in the Boar War. His returning WW1 comrades built them a little 4 roomed cottage in Sans Souci when the war was over.

[@roslynjonsson2383]

Eric Bogle (born 23 September 1944) is a Scottish-born Australian folk singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia at the age of 25, to settle near Adelaide, South Australia. Bogle's songs have covered a variety of topics and have been performed by many artists. Two of his best known songs are "No Man's Land" (or "The Green Fields of France") and "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", with the latter named one of the APRA Top 30 Australian songs in 2001, as part of the celebrations for the Australasian Performing Right Association's 75th anniversary.- according to Wikipedia

[@MertAus]

Thanks very much Roslyn. I thought he sounded Scottish so at least I know I am not going mad. I will need to check out No Mans Land too.

[@sanabas1]

@@MertAus No Man's Land, My youngest son came home today are two more of his with a war theme. The Enigma is one of the saddest songs I know. Some other thought provoking ones are 'No Gods at All' and 'Our National Pride'. But he also does some quite entertaining comedy stuff, e.g. Nobody's Moggy, Introduction Song, Kissing English Arses Blues, Do you know any Dylan?

[@sgtcrab2569]

I met him at the General Hindmarsh pub in North Adelaide. Wonderful moment!

[@alnotterbot5590]

What a legend. For some reason, it always sounds better than if sung by an Aussie.

[@melissamackessy3372]

This song gets me every time😢 So grateful to the men and women who give their lives for us. ANZACS 🇦🇺🇰🇾

[@RECYCLE-hf3eu]

In one song Eric Bogle can paint an image and instill the emotions of one of the worst times in history. People can learn a lot from his words.

[@Tymmy66]

Aussies have always been great storytellers. Music is a big part of Australian culture. Thank you for taking the time to listen to these songs, not like others who react but don't really listen.

[@MertAus]

That is something I am really learning and appreciating about Australian culture. The storytelling. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing more

[@christopheryoung3850]

It is the ancient Aussie art of 'spininng a yarn'.

[@stephanieyee9784]

Waltzing Matilda is a perfect example of Australian storytelling.

[@dystar112]

I am.a younger !Australian but most Australians know the odds were against us at Gallipolli but ours fought on. We lost so many. RIP and may we never forget 🙏

[@narellesmith7932]

We followed Great Britain’s war to Turkey as part of the Commonwealth

[@dystar112]

@@narellesmith7932 yes. So many lives on all.sides lost 🙏❤

[@hannahroberts6295]

Thus Australian bumped into Eric Bogle in a pub in Edinburgh iplaying a session with a few friends n 1982 and I asked him to play this and he graciously did. June Tabor an English folk singer sings an even more emotionally charged version of this song.

[@Rubytuesday1569]

Thousands of people young and old, march on ANZAC Day, April 25th every year all over Australia. Things may well have been different in the 1970's when the song was written. A challenging story beautifully told.☮️

[@suemoore984]

I started going to ANZAC Day marches as a child in the early 1960s. There were many marchers, and they knew that we were grateful for their sacrifice

[@heatherwickstead7980]

Thanks so much for appreciating this.The small country towns in Australia all have their war memorials, which get floral wreaths every Anzac Day. War had such an impact on these farming communities. But, happy to say, attendance at Anzac Day marches is still strong.

[@micko11154]

This is an Eric Bogle original. Yes he's Scottish, but he has spent a lot of time in Australia. Cheers m8!

[@MertAus]

That makes sense, thanks for letting me know

[@elizabeth10392]

Your reactions are so genuine and heartfelt❣️This song always reminds me that my Great Uncle survived Gallipoli and was sent to the western front where he was gassed with mustard gas. He died young from lung disease as a result. His mother's family migrated from Scotland in 1840. I think they came from Stirling. Eric wrote another one made famous by The Furies. They call it Green Fields of France. He called it No Man's Land. It starts " So how do you do Private William McBride? Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside and rest for a while in the warm summer sun. I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done".

[@bobknightfolk]

The Fureys butchered the lyrics, changed so many words. Compare Eric's original lyrics to theirs to see what I mean.

[@johnconnelly8823]

I'm a Vietnam vet, and this song never fails to make me cry. Please link to other songs by him, he's well worth listening to.

[@darreneriksen]

Bogle said he wrote the song as an oblique commentary on the Vietnam war, even though he intensively studied WW1. It hits timeless themes.

[@varthdata]

Thanks for your service John, and welcome home.

[@lozhiggo828]

This song is for our ANZACS only. WW1 & WW2. Vietnam was sanctioned murder. Those front page images of dead women & children on the streets of Vietnam have leftcan indelible scar on me. I walked in the anti Vietnam war protests with my parents at 6yrs of age. I admire only those men who chose to be "consciousnesses objectors" DO NOT HIJACK OUR ANZACS

[@nickywarren8002]

He tells it like it is. They were our sons. Always will be. Guts me every time. 😢

[@mals4125]

Truly just one of the greatest songwriters in the world - check out the massive back catalogue even if you don't react - he's touching, hilarious, empathetic, passionate with just a simple turn of phrase. The amazing way he uses the phrase/meaning of 'Waltzing Matilda' between a song, walking around and an Australian iconic touchstone is just masterful. He is an absolute one off.

[@dinkasidic2198]

Best anti war song ever as a new Australian 5 when I came here I went every dawn ANZAC service I loved it and as a Croatian I am fortunate to be an Aussie and super proud wogs are the best Aussies

[@ballantynemoyes8019]

Eric Bogle was born in Peebles and moved to Adelaide when he was 25. Another great song he wrote is "As If He Knows" - a war song not about the men but about the horses and, for animal lovers, a tear jerker. A great reaction as always, MSTV. There's a live performance on YT, but just the sound, and there are several of the actual recording.

[@Erizedd]

I haven't heard that one, but I do know what they did to horses that were shipped off to war, served as valiantly as any soldier, but were never brought back nor thought of at all for their life's sacrifice. It truly is heart-breaking.

[@Bellas1717]

@@Erizedd Outer Sydney has an area, beneath/beside a complex of road overpasses at the juncture of the M4 and M7 motorways, called the Light Horse Interchange. It commemorates the sacrifices of men and horses from the Light Horse Brigade. Blood red markers along the approaches to the interchange are the soldiers and wire sprays coming out of the markers are the emu feathers worn in their slouch hats. Quarantine laws would not allow the soldiers to bring their horses back, a huge grief to the soldiers, so the horses are not part of the sculpture, but the interchange helps people to remember them.

[@pearl-pf6xz]

Where my Grandfather was from. Ended getting shot in France. A proud Anzac till he's death at 87...lest we forget. ANZAC Day 2023.

[@queenslanddiva]

OMG, EVERY time I see this song I cry. Thanks Matt. If you want more Aussie storytellers, look no further than John Williamson and Troy Casser-Daley. Icons.

[@dianathompson833]

He is Scottish. He emigrated when he was 25. Thank you for doing this one. Like "I was Only 19", it's a heartbreaking, but important message.

[@johnlockier1998]

Eric Bogle is an adopted Australian and a National Treasure. Love him and his music.

[@trevorkrause7220]

As an Australian this song which highlights at least two of our most precious Australian national symbols, the battles of the Gallipoli campaign and the song of Waltzing Matilda, it really cuts deep every time one hears it. A very sad song and very poignant but strangely uplifting and creating a sense of brotherhood and nationhood among most Australians that listen to it.

[@Bellas1717]

Perhaps 'a sense of matehood' rather than just brotherhood? Women feel the emotion of the song and connection to it too. (Even though there were no female soldiers at Gallipoli, Matilda is a woman 😅)

[@trevorkrause7220]

@@Bellas1717 Matilda in the song is a bedroll or swag. If you feel that is representative in any way of a woman then you probably need your head read by a professional. The song is from the point of view of a man. As you so clearly state there were no women soldiers at Gallipoli or in the trenches of Europe during WW1 but there were many nurse stationed in hospitals not far away that did see all the carnage and suffering heaped upon their men as the wounded were evacuated from the frontlines. So these womem did know first-hand the suffering that war caused. Maybe some smart, considerate and respectful women could write a few verses to add some perspective from a women's point of view to the song. It should also be noted that the subject of the song was never married so there were no female partners or even female family members to share his inner personal troubles with. Maybe he didn't care for female company considering what bitches some can be.

[@Mrmikey0909]

@@trevorkrause7220 not sure there was any need for the last line. Very bitchy on YOUR part.

[@Bellas1717]

@@trevorkrause7220 sorry, did you note the emoji? My apologies, you are obviously not the person to have a joke with. It seems that although Eric doesn’t have an issue with women, your response shows that you perhaps might. I was saying that the swag is named with a woman's name, not that the Matilda in the song is a woman. I’m sorry for whatever experiences you’ve had to cause you to react so aggressively, hopefully life improves for you. Keep well. Cheers.

[@trevorkrause7220]

@@Bellas1717 No I didn't note you're emoji, I am over sixty years old and I have limited eyesight, so your emoji doesn't mean jack. The swag or bedroll is referred to as Matilda and whether it is also a woman's name is completely irrelevant. It is also irrelevant whether Eric actually had any issues with women or not as the song is not about him, he was never at Gallipoli or had his legs blown off, he had just heard some stories of interest to him and created a great and poignant song from the point of view of someone else who may have experienced such things.

[@ChrisBright-qj6yx]

I'm still in my 50s, my paternal grandfather fought in Palestine in the 1st Light Horse in WW1 and I try to pass this history to my kids in their 20s to remember and respect our service personnel.

[@brenreeves9496]

I remember my dad who was a WW2 veteran and wasn’t always well watch the ANZAC Day march on TV. He had tears rolling down his face. I felt like I was intruding on something really personal and left the room. I wish now I had of hugged him so tight 😢😢

[@carokat1111]

An interesting fact is that ANZAC day marches are actually still doing really well. The original soldiers may have now died out, but their descendants keep their memory alive.

[@MertAus]

That is great to hear that they are doing well and the respect is still be shown that they deserve

[@darrengray2309]

Still doing well They are actually bigger than they have ever been

[@goldenchild4835]

I first saw Eric Bogle in the 70's. He's a wonderful singer and writer - my grandfathers and other members of my family came from Scotland. My great uncle came from Campbell Town, arrived in Australia in 1910 and married a young Englishwoman and had two children before joining the Ist AIF and went to Gallipoli in mid 1915, was wounded and would endure another three years of war. He was mortally wounded near Ypres and now lies in an Australian war grave back in Campbell Town. This song always chokes me up.

[@professornuke7562]

When I was a lad in the 1970's there were still blokes with one leg on crutches getting about. Some with no legs in wheel chairs. One with no legs, and one arm who had a chair with a crank handle with steering mechanism to drive it along. Some of them were WW2 veterans, but most were from WW1. The Streets around my Grandmother's house were called things like Gezireh St, Heliopolis St, Gallipoli Parade etc because my late Grandfather had fought at Ypres, and it was a Returned Soldiers Village. Some of those old blokes wore their medals every day. Some of them sold them in exchange for beer money. A lot of them drank a lot of beer because the war pensions didn't really cover the fact that a man can go crazy surrounded by frozen corpses under drumfire whilst up to your knees in semi frozen sewage.

[@terryjohinke8065]

He is an Australian Scot who lives about 10 miles north of me. A great song writer as you'll realize. We lost 8,000 and the Turks lost 70,000 but Ataturk payed tribute to the ANZACS and we've been mates since then. First time they identified the dead and buried them at Galllipoli. A tough place to be, no-one talks, you just walk and wonder.

[@topsyfulwell]

I saw Eric Bogle years ago at the Port Fairy Folk Festival where I first heard this song. Still moves me when I hear it. Thanks for your love of Australiana. I'm a ten pound Pom and my mum is Scottish so you've got a huge fan base here!

[@MertAus]

Brilliant is must have been unbelievable to see this live. I can imagine it being an emotional experience. Brilliant, I really love that a lot of Australians have Scottish and British ancestry.

[@Mrmikey0909]

@@MertAus Many of us here mate, millions actually. I came from Manchester as a 7 year old in 1967 as a ten pounder. I have English, Irish, Welsh and yes, Scottish ancestry. Love your reactions, very heartfelt.

[@1970GenXer]

@@MertAus my Grandfather was a Scottish immigrants as well, he was born in Glasgow. He end up the first Fire Chief of Tully and district.

[@katearmiger8535]

I saw him at a tiny folk club in Gawler, South Australia in the early seventies. Blown away. I’ve been a fan ever since ❤

[@craighambo]

He is a Scotsman who moved to Australia when he was in his mid 20s.Thos song makes me cry every time it is an absolute brilliant story telling event so vividly.

[@frankiesullivan6015]

This always brings me to tears, we lost our great uncle at Gallipoli, he was just 17 years old. He convinced his mother to sign the papers saying he could go. So much sadness 😭😭

[@Onecooltop75]

I begged my dad to sign my enlistment papers when I was 17. He flat out refused. He wouldn’t tell me why and we had a series of arguments about it. One day I was about a week away from turning 18 and I asked him to sign the papers or I would wait a week and do it myself. He again refused. I remember asking,” why are you being so fucking stubborn about this?” My dad was a large bear of a man and I wasn’t stupid enough to swear at him in my life. He gave me a cold icy dead stare that I had never seen until that day and he said ,” There are things I know about the Marine Corps the recruiters don’t share in the brochures. I’ve seen dozens of kids like you with their legs blown off and their guts hanging out begging for their mothers. I am not going to sign your death warrant.” After my first combat deployments, I finally understood. My dad died on Memorial Day of 2021. Semper Fi Dad wherever you are

[@frankiesullivan6015]

@@Onecooltop75 so sorry for the loss of your dad

[@tass5797]

​@@Onecooltop75So sorry for your loss buddy !!Respect!!🙄🙄😊😊

[@tiaelina1090]

I always shed tears when I hear this song. As I nurse I think of those young men who went and fought and so many didn’t return and those that did had scars, many seen and others internal. My heart goes out to all the brave men and woman who go to war so that we can live free. So moving💔😥

[@kookymonsta6566]

Thank you so much for covering this song. As my grandfather was a Gallipoli veteran who was literally wounded by Johnny Turk 15 minutes after he landed ion 1915 and his feelings about the RSL I understand the later lyrics of this song

[@77YouLoveMe77]

Your reaction was perfect. I love your appreciation of the Australian feeling. This is the most beautiful beautiful song, and you absolutely got it. Thank you.

[@becwrites]

The lyrics “no more waltzing Matilda for me” gets me every time. At the beginning of the song the solder is free, walking the bush with his Matilda (bag) on his back……. But “a man needs both legs” 😔 he can no longer physically do what he loves pre-war

[@lindabailey1600]

The Gallipoli campaign is ingrained in our psyche as Australians. Some say it was the true birth of our country. We commemorate every year on 25 April, the anniversary of the landings at dawn. Our Dawn Services on Anzac Day are incredibly beautiful, powerful and emotional.

[@marilynlennox261]

Eric Bogle and Redgum have made themselves icons of Australian music with these songs. We Australians are as blown away by them as you are. What made it worse was that in both the First WW and Vietnam boys were conscripted by having their names pulled out of a barrell and sent away. We live so far away from these war zones that most of the boys thought they were going to a great adventure and would come home as heroes. Thanks for your empathetic reaction to the words. Like your channel very much.

[@Mirrorgirl492]

I had the unbridled pleasure of seeing Eric Bogle perform, just a few short weeks ago. The entire concert was magnificent. Eric's ability to be so succinct with an economy of words, yet so descriptive and evocative at the same time, is gift.

[@taniaPBear]

Eric Bogle, brings that wonderful folk music, storytelling vibe, with him from Scotland. We have that in our history, but technically it all comes from the the British settlers,. It's become very uniquely Australian, but that's where the roots of it lie. Thank you for such a wonderful reaction, I'm still wiping tears. ❤

[@MertAus]

Thank you very much. It is so great to find that out about Australia. The music I have listened to so far has all been very well written and telling meaningful stories.

[@Mrmikey0909]

@@MertAus back in the 60's and up till today there has always been a very strong tradition of many Australian bands having a number of Brits on board. Some of our biggest are littered with them from The Easybeats, Bee Gees, AC/DC, Thorpe, Barnes, Swanee, Farnham etc. I've been lucky to play in many bands, none overly successful but always busy, half full of other Brits and The Irish. That gives some body to your thoughts about Australians being able to tell stories so well and to portray the emotions so vividly in our songs. We are story tellers.

[@roslynjonsson2383]

Mat, I'd just like to point out that, the fact we have so many talented Scottish born Aussies, isn't lost on a lot of us older generation. We don't just have Eric Bogle, but Jimmy Barnes, Colin Hay (lead singer of Men At Work) Bon Scott (original lead singer AC/DC), Isla Fischer (Actress), We even have a very well loved old VFL/ AFL song, that's still sung on special occasions today called "Up there Cazaly" which is a song written about a Scottish born famous VFL footballer named Roy Cazaly, as well as I'm pretty sure a Scotsman composed our Australian nation anthem? ( I might be wrong about that one, I just remember something about it from primary school days lol), and I'm sure there are many other successful born Scottish Aussies throughout our history- we have a very close connection with Scotland, more than what a lot of people realise here in Aus. You being so surprised that so many well loved Aussies, are actually born Scots, is quite funny to me, because you're a talented bunch over there, and we've got the proof over here lol

[@MrDidgee]

the young brothers from acd their elder brother the easy beats john paul young singer no relation to the youngs from acdc the list goes on and on

[@roslynjonsson2383]

@@MrDidgee Thank you for that cobber..... Was JPY aka Sqeak ? (John Paul Young) a born Scott ? well, I never knew that.....one of my fav tunes from him was Yesterday's Hero lol

[@MertAus]

Awesome, before I started learning about Australia I never knew they were was such a strong connection between Scotland and Australia but I am really proud of it and really enjoying finding out more about it. Thanks for letting me know more about it

[@janetmitchell9980]

@@roslynjonsson2383 He was born in Glasgow 1950; arrived in Sydney on Australia Day 1962

[@roslynjonsson2383]

@@janetmitchell9980 Yep, I went and googled it, coz I couldn't stand not knowing that lol. He was one of my fav's, especially on Count Down, and it really surprised me - we never stop learning and I just learnt that today. Thank you for taking your time to share though, that was lovely of you

[@lisadelahaye6568]

Australian Director Peter Weir directed an Australian movie titled 'Gallipoli' which stars a very young Mel Gibson, shows the hurdle they were up against which is described in this song. You should check it out. I am glad to say that the participation and attendance as our Australian ANZAC marches have grown in the last few years rightly giving these 'vets' the recognition and acknowledgement that they deserve. Thank you for your service!

[@barrylongstaff5849]

Eric Bogle is a Scottish/Australian legend and this song, perhaps the ultimate anti-war song, must be his best. The performance you've used is perhaps the best and shows the maturity of his performance. Your reaction and analysis is the best I've seen and shows your understanding of the gravity of the events portrayed. More please!

[@markwaters3050]

This is a masterpiece. It reignited the desire of the young to actually learn about "what they're matching for"... and so the young have developed interest, and in fact a desire, to participate in an ANZAC Day ceremony. And so, after 100 years, we have not forgotten! Lest we do indeed forget. Eric Bogle took what he had observed as a National remembrance, and he wondered "why?", and created this. Thanks Eric.

[@robparsons1527]

All of the ANZAC troops in WW1 were volunteers, we did not have conscription and to serve outside of Australia required the individual to volunteer to do so. I think we lost about a third of our young men, my grandfather served in that horror, he would never talk about it and would never march on ANZAC Day, he had a number of bravery, (and other) medals, I never saw them until after his passing.

[@geraldinegaynor1360]

There’s another song he wrote when he left Scotland and his mother. It’s very sad too. It’s called Wendy Wu. He’s a great song writer.

[@SuperBollus]

Hi Mat, Thanks for reviewing this song. I can not listen to this song without tears. The writing is so strong. I don't want to say we are friends of Eric, more just acquaintances. He is a very amiable, lovely man. Please review "A Gift of Years". It's amazing that Australia needed a Scot to write one of the most powerful songs in our history.

[@tamsin1969]

Way to make this Aussie girl cry today 😢 This song never fails.

[@ozstarr4583]

Great fingerpicking, even though he stuffed around at the start 👍

[@justlinsu]

Wow this song says it all. The horror of war and the lives not only lost but those who survive really never recover from the horrors of it. ANZAC DAY is not a celebration though it is to honor those who died and thank those who served. We Will Remember Them. Thank you for your understanding and wanting to know about some of our Australian history through music. waiving from Australia

[@tomwareham7944]

As you say he paints a perfect picture of the horror of the Gallipoli campaign and the futility of war . I like thousands of Australians and New Zealanders have visited Turkey with the express purpose of visiting Anzac Cove at Gallipoli , believe me its a sobering experience seeing all the white crosses and grave markers in the many cemeteries scattered throughout the area the most poignant moment for me was seeing a single red poppy growing next to a grave that was the resting place of a 16 year old soldier who had lied about his age to go to war with his older mates . The last surviving Digger died in the early 2000s at the age of105 he was your typical laconic Aussie , when asked what he attributed his longevity to he looked the reporter in the eye and said , not dieing, . Over 8,600 Aussie's died at Gallipoli with the overall number of deaths including Turk Australian New Zealand British French Indian and some Canadian troops totalling over 200 000 it was a costly experiment with no positive result .LEST WE FORGET

[@paulbrennan3091]

Good on ya mate ! I appreciate your Reaction to this Song ,So Specially Compiled & Sung from Eric Bogle ! As as Old Aussie Digger of Irish,Scottish & English background but with Family Military history is So very Special to Us all ! Yes beautifully Sung with Heart ,Soul & Emotion poured into it ,Touches us deeply Every time this Song is Sung & heard ! Thank U again for a Great Reaction from U & playing it for us all ! Keep em Coming ,Great Work ! Cheers from Aus !

[@GregoryBoyce-w3i]

In Albury nsw Australia. A young lady in record shop sold me his cassettes . She said he in concert has you laughing and clapping to the tune . Then this song and we all Are weeping . She said it the sweat and the sour flavour of a good concert

[@tracypaxevanos6000]

Every time I hear this song I cry

[@wallywombat164]

Be proud of your Country and Countrymen Matt. Yeah mate, Mr Bogle is Scooish.

[@MertAus]

I am mate, thanks

[@elizabethpilarski1076]

@@MertAus sorry to say it mate but the Gallipoli campaign is not something for the Uk to be proud of. Not that you shouldn't be proud of your country but not of that battle. They really were lambs to the slaughter, they had absolutely no chance of winning and it was known. If my reading of history is correct it was one of Churchill's biggest regrets. 😔 No offence meant, just a history lesson 😉

[@greybirdo]

Eric is an adopted son of this wide brown land, and we love him dearly. However, there’s an interesting irony in the lyrics. He talks about ‘the Hell that they called Suvla Bay’. No Australians actually fought at Suvla - it was at the far left of the Gallipoli beachhead where the British X Corps landed on 8 August 1915, and were slaughtered in their thousands. No doubt Eric would have heard about the Suvla disaster from his parents’ generation in Scotland. At the time of the Suvla landing, the Kiwis were taking the impossible Hill 971 and the Australians were impaling themselves on Turkish machine guns and bayonets at the Nek and Lone Pine, all in an attempt to divert Turks from the Suvla landings. It didn’t work due to the incompetence of X Corps commander. All those brave Tommies, Diggers and Kiwis died in vain. So in a way, this song tells the story of not just Australia’s ‘forgotten’ war (mercifully no longer forgotten), but the genuinely forgotten war of thousands of lads from the West Country, London and the Scottish Highlands. Unlike the diggers who died at Gallipoli, their role in the Gallipoli campaign has been all but forgotten in popular memory.

[@craigpaterson6091]

I was waiting for your reaction when you realized he was from Scotland your home country. Eric came out here in the late 60s/early70s from memory to settle in Adelaide S.A. I find it totally overwhelming that Eric has the ability to sing for us as a adopted Aussie on any subject matter much better than most of us with absolute passion. He also lost his singing partner John a few yrs ago which must have been a great lose to Eric. Would suggest to anyone taken by this song of Eric's, to look at his full music catalogue - most based on Australian themes rather than the old country. We do call him a Aussie Icon now.

[@simon_wiggle_fan]

The Australian children's group, the Wiggles did a version of this song in honor of ANZAC Day last year and performed it live on TV, which is also a very good version of it. Although they are a children's group, they have done several old Scottish and Irish folk songs, such as Loch Lomond and Coulter's Candy, which they renamed Sweet Boiled Candy, and Castle Of Dromore, aka October Winds, ect.

[@Dr_KAP]

Hi Mat I’m so glad you did this version as this is his song and the emotion in his face and voice is spine tingling. By the way when’s the baby coming?!

[@MertAus]

Hi Dr KAP. Actually I have not made a post about it (I will do soon on the community tab, just in case anybody wants to know) but my daughter was born on 30th December (hence why my uploads have been lacking). She was 3.01kg and baby and mother are doing great. She is perfect. We actually just went out to register her birth today.

[@Dr_KAP]

@@MertAus OMG IM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!! Congratulations! Do you have a PO Box in Malaysia I would love to send her a little Aussie gift. Also I saw you used to live in Shanghai. I spent 15 years working there and speak fluent Mandarin! I love Shanghai.

[@narellesmith7932]

Congratulations!!!! 🎉

[@Erizedd]

@@MertAus Congratulations on the new addition to your family! ❤

[@np8101]

Eric Bogle was a great gift from Scotland to Australia. I think a really great song writer. This song, his best known, has become known internationally as one of the great anti-war songs and has been covered around the world, by many other artists, but I would also recommend many other of his compositions. He really is a marvellous poet. "Leaving Nancy" and "No Man's Land" are a couple worth listening to. From Wikipedia "Many of Bogle's songs have been covered by other artists; including Joan Baez, John Schumann, Donovan, the Skids, June Tabor, the Men They Couldn't Hang, the Clancy Brothers, the Dubliners, John McDermott, Liam Clancy, Mike Harding, the Pogues, De Dannan, Dropkick Murphys, the Corries, Billy Bragg, the Bushwackers, Slim Dusty, Mary Black, the Fureys, Egin and John Williamson."

[@adamm8021]

As an Aussie ex-soldier, this song is a hard listen every time I hear it....especially after a few beers. I did my time in the late 1990s - the mid 2000s...Afghanistan, Iraq, Timor, Solomons etc... I finished up as a recruit instructor at Kapooka. On march -out day, we'd line the recruits up in a blacked-out hallway in the lines, leave them alone together and play this or "I was only 19'. It was a great way to get them ready for their parade in front of their families and remind them of what the men that had gone before them had given.

[@Primaate]

Just a btw- Wrt WW1 ANZACs per capita captured more territory than any other. 'Combined Arms' warfare was invented by an Australian Gen. Monash and under his command US forces fought one of their first major battles in April 1918.

[@MrDupledge]

Eric is a naturalised Australian and live in South Australia

[@roslynjonsson2383]

Your reaction to "I was only 19" inspired me to sit and watch the movie "Danger Close" again, which is a movie you want to watch if you're interested in our Aussie troops - Its about the battle of Long Tan (Vietnam war). The song I was only 19, is attached to the end of this movie. A movie worth watching.

[@MertAus]

Awesome. Ok will check that out, thanks for the suggestion

[@neilstrang8855]

I took my daughter to the local cenotaph before sunrise for her to play The Last Post & Reveille during the dawn service. In 1986 dawn services weren’t as popular as they are now. As we waited in the fog, we heard faint footsteps on the road approaching us. They gathered, conducted the service, she played, then left. A thank you was offered to her. Not bad for an 11 year old.

[@ozstarr4583]

Anzacs don’t glorify war, we remember.

[@lorddeath4bs689]

Waltzing is walking Matilda is a swag or a bag with all your stuff in💀💀💀

[@allisongrattidge4154]

So much respect to you for this reaction mate, thank you :)

[@Love_sChild]

I remember singing this at primary school at an ANZAC Day assembly. So sad to remember what they did for us and what our country went through.

[@mozzmann]

This Song and Eric Bogle create an indelible image of the futility of war !!,

[@macman1469]

At the start of World War 1 Australia had set very high standards for enlisted men . Only the fittest made it , these were the men sent to Gallipoli. It was our first big military action as Australians. It was our baptism under fire. Our military was a volunteer army. Many of the survivors of Gallipoli were sent to the Western Front.

[@lex_hayes]

To appreciate this song you need to know the classic Aussie song "Waltzing Matilda". Maybe you do a video of that. And do Advance Australia Fair - for a laugh. The other Aussie song I haven't seen anyone do yet is Men at Work's "Land Down Under". It's iconic for Aussies because the yacht Australia 2 blasted the song in 1983 as it caught up to the American yacht Trinity, who in the deciding final race of the Americas Cup had had a 57 second head start. Our boys closed the gap & then sailed right on past to win by 41 seconds & became the first ever non American yacht to win the Americas Cup. So the Yanks played the some from Rocky, our lads played Land Down Under loudly from behind as they caught up to the Americans and whilst side by side waved them what was probably an 'in your face' hello & then our boys just sailed on by to victory. How dare any other country's boat win the Americas Cup.

[@paulabourke6666]

Hi Matt, Some perspective for you, as to the importance of Anzac Day. Even during Covid lockdown in 2020, people stood at the end of their driveways at 6.00am to commemorate the Anzacs. Heads bowed by candlelight, with the Last Post ringing throught the neighbourhood. It was an solemn and dignified tribute to our Fallen.

[@AralBereux]

As an Aussie, this is actually the first time I heard this, and I teared up, especially at the end when he broke into the Waltzing Matilda rendition. This song, especially in the current climate, broke my heart.

[@OneLeatherBoot]

listen to the version sung by "The Pogues".

[@ole7236]

Eric Bogle is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. "The Green Fields of France" is probably his most popular song and you should definitely listen to it. He wrote so many great songs, "As If He Knows" is also one of my favorites.

[@treadingtheboards2875]

About 10 or 12 years ago, I was in a stage production that performed songs about war, I chose to sing this with my son accompanying me on guitar, similar to this video. When I had finished, there was absolute silence for a moment before the applause. I was told afterwards that everyone was in tears, the majority of those in the audience had someone who never came home from WW1 I too am Scottish born, coming to Australia at age 9 in 1954. I chose to sing this song to honor my own Scottish ancestors that fought in, with some never coming back from, Gallipoli.

[@Glenfern]

Yep, he's a Scotty ❤

[@Glenfern]

Thanks so much Matt, that song always makes me cry. I came to Aust as a young adult, been here 49 years. I still miss Ireland but I call Australia home...❤ You've heard of Peter Allen. Listen to "Tenterfield Saddler" it's about his life story also the Tenterfield Saddler business is For Sale. We want it to be heritage listed so it stays as is. It's a living museum with old tools and leather goods. Check it out Matt. Thanks for all your videos, although I'm always in tears...❤❤🇦🇺🙏🦘🙋‍♀️

[@labratbrent]

I like your reaction to Eric's Scottish accent. That may be a trap. I have drunk many a beer with three brothers whose parents migrated from Scottland to Australia before they were born. They all had an Australian accent until they were drunk! Then they only could speak with a Scottish accent!

[@lockie144]

As an Australian, it brings me to tears every time.

[@anniej8311]

Wonderful reaction. Thank you. Eric Bogle writes so many brilliant songs, in this vein. He also wrote a heart-wrenching song about the horses used (and loved) by Australian soldiers in Egypt. The soldiers weren't allowed to bring the horses back home and they didn't want to leave them in the foreign land where they would be used as slaves and treated cruelly. The song tells the story of those magnificent horses to which we give so little credit. 'As If He Knows': kzbin.info/www/bejne/np_MfqV9mqtnq9U

[@MertAus]

That sounds great. I will check that out for sure

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

Eric Bogle's type of songwriting comes from the traditional folksongs of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Many many of them tell stories that are sad, or wild, religious or about the Fair Folk. Many are about farming, wooing and (and in an unabashed medieval way) f**king. They're about going to sea, about war, about scamming people, stealing and punishment. All kinds of stories. A Canadian song in the same tradition is The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that sank on one of the Great Lakes. Some of these lakes are notorious for sinking ships. They are wide enough for wind to pile up mountainous waves, but the lakes can be very shallow. Often not even as deep as a freighter is long. They are so far north the icyiness of the water makes it impossible for people to swim because their bodies go into shock.

[@Lici-g8v]

I live in Townsville in the North Queensland, the north of our country. It’s a Garrison city from where our troops traditionally leave for wars or deployment. This song gets me every time I hear it even as a 60 yo of a military family😢 The rash was from Agent Orange which caused a lot of infertility and birth defects in servicemen’s children. 😢 Must see Australian movie, set in Vietnam is Danger Close of a legendary battle our boys were in. It stars Aussie Travis Fimmel who played Ragnor in Vikings. Let me know if you ever watch it. Cheers from Oz. 4:29

[@faycoles6905]

I used to sing this in a restaurant and when i did, everyone would stop talking and you could hear a pin drop - it is a song that resonates with many who have lost loved ones to war

[@dropbear6740]

A beautiful song which makes me think about my grandfather who was at Galipoli he also departed Australia from Circular Quay in Sydney, he landed at Galipoli on the 25th April, everytime I hear this song just makes me think of what he and the thousands of other Aussies and Kiwi's went through for a war that wasn't even ours.

[@rosalynmoyle3766]

Respect and memory for the ANZACS. Eric was scottish born and migrated to Australia when he was about 25.

[@paulmolloy4649]

When they interred the unknown soldier in 1983. 2 songs were played this one and the song "I was only 19" by Redgum about Vietnam. Both songs are part of our psyche, especially for me a man who was called up for Vietnam at the age of 20.