Biography:
Scotland's greatest living Australian. Or the other way around, depending on how you look at it.
Born in Peebles, Scotland, and emigrating to Australia in 1969, he currently resides near Adelaide, South Australia. Written in 1972, And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda is perhaps his best-known song, being a haunting evocation of the ANZAC experience fighting in the Battle of Gallipoli. It has also been interpreted as a reaction to the Vietnam War.
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Other songs:
- And The Band Played "waltzing Matilda"
- Across The Hills Of Home
- And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
- And The Band Played Waltzing Matlida
- Ballad Of Henry Holloway
- Bloody Rotten Audience
- Dedication Day
- Front Row Cowboy
- Green Fields Of France
- Leaving Nancy
- No Mans Land
- Now Im Easy
- Safe In The Harbour
- Scraps Of Paper
- The Blessing
Four years of hard work!This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
N.B.: Capo 9 or transpose -3 for original key
[Intro]
G D/F# Em C D
[Verse 1]
G
I used to cling to the strong belief
Am
All through life's slowly deepening grief
D
That in every heart a dream of peace
G D
Longed for the day of its release
G
Though peace was often hard to keep
Am
Though fears and hatred still ran deep
D
I thought one day they'd surely fall
G D
To the dream of peace that binds us all
[Chorus]
Em
And blessed be those who strive for peace
C
They shall be shot down in the streets
Em
Blessed be the free, the proud, and the brave
C
They shall be humbled and enslaved
Em
Blessed be those who love and care
C D
Their hearts shall wither in despair
G
Above all bless the human race
Am
For spitting in Creations face
D
Who knows if we'll live or die
G
Not I.
D/F# Em
And who cares if we'll live or die
C D
Not I. Not I.
[Verse 2]
G
I used to think that the written word
Am
Was more mighty than the gun or sword
D
Justice, Truth, and Liberty
G D
Were more than just mere words to me
G
But weapons, when in Freedom's hand
Am
No tyranny could long withstand
D
Nor yet delay its final hour
G D
Brought to dust by words of power
Em C Em C Em C Em C
[Chorus]
Em
And blessed be those who strive for peace
C
They shall be shot down in the streets
Em
Blessed be the free, the proud, and the brave
C
They shall be humbled and enslaved
Em
Blessed be those who love and care
C D
Their hearts shall wither in despair
G
Above all bless the human race
Am
For spitting in Creations face
D
Who knows if we'll live or die
G
Not I.
D/F# Em
And who cares if we'll live or die
C D
Not I. Not I.
[Verse 3]
G
So I sit here in my ivory tower
Am
Playing with these words of power
D
Rhymes fly from my fingertips
G D
Songs fall smoothly from my lips
G
To better see, I stand apart
Am
To safer be, I veil my heart
D
See Moses down the mountain flies
G D
Is he bringing truth or lies?
[Chorus]
Em
And blessed be those who strive for peace
C
They shall be shot down in the streets
Em
Blessed be the free, the proud, and the brave
C
They shall be humbled and enslaved
Em
Blessed be those who love and care
C D
Their hearts shall wither in despair
G
Above all bless the human race
Am
For spitting in Creations face
D
Who knows if we'll live or die
G
Not I.
D/F# Em
And who cares if we'll live or die
C D G
Not I. Not I. Not I.
[Intro]
G D/F# Em C D
[Verse 1]
G
I used to cling to the strong belief
Am
All through life's slowly deepening grief
D
That in every heart a dream of peace
G D
Longed for the day of its release
G
Though peace was often hard to keep
Am
Though fears and hatred still ran deep
D
I thought one day they'd surely fall
G D
To the dream of peace that binds us all
[Chorus]
Em
And blessed be those who strive for peace
C
They shall be shot down in the streets
Em
Blessed be the free, the proud, and the brave
C
They shall be humbled and enslaved
Em
Blessed be those who love and care
C D
Their hearts shall wither in despair
G
Above all bless the human race
Am
For spitting in Creations face
D
Who knows if we'll live or die
G
Not I.
D/F# Em
And who cares if we'll live or die
C D
Not I. Not I.
[Verse 2]
G
I used to think that the written word
Am
Was more mighty than the gun or sword
D
Justice, Truth, and Liberty
G D
Were more than just mere words to me
G
But weapons, when in Freedom's hand
Am
No tyranny could long withstand
D
Nor yet delay its final hour
G D
Brought to dust by words of power
Em C Em C Em C Em C
[Chorus]
Em
And blessed be those who strive for peace
C
They shall be shot down in the streets
Em
Blessed be the free, the proud, and the brave
C
They shall be humbled and enslaved
Em
Blessed be those who love and care
C D
Their hearts shall wither in despair
G
Above all bless the human race
Am
For spitting in Creations face
D
Who knows if we'll live or die
G
Not I.
D/F# Em
And who cares if we'll live or die
C D
Not I. Not I.
[Verse 3]
G
So I sit here in my ivory tower
Am
Playing with these words of power
D
Rhymes fly from my fingertips
G D
Songs fall smoothly from my lips
G
To better see, I stand apart
Am
To safer be, I veil my heart
D
See Moses down the mountain flies
G D
Is he bringing truth or lies?
[Chorus]
Em
And blessed be those who strive for peace
C
They shall be shot down in the streets
Em
Blessed be the free, the proud, and the brave
C
They shall be humbled and enslaved
Em
Blessed be those who love and care
C D
Their hearts shall wither in despair
G
Above all bless the human race
Am
For spitting in Creations face
D
Who knows if we'll live or die
G
Not I.
D/F# Em
And who cares if we'll live or die
C D G
Not I. Not I. Not I.
Eric Idle
Eric Johnson
Eric Lapointe
Eric Prydz
Eric Weissberg