Page 'W'

WADDLY ACHA

Waddly acha, waddly acha.
Doodly do, doodly do.
Waddly acha, waddly acha.
Doodly do, doodly do.
Some folks say there isn't much to it;
all you gotta do is doodly do it.
Waddly acha waddly acha.
Doodly doodly do hey.

Okay, the hand motions are hard to explain but here goes.
Pat you thighs on the "waddlys".
Clap your hands on the "achas".
On the "doodlys", put your right hand on your nose and your left on your right ear. Your hands and wrists should be crossed.
On the "doos", reverse that and put your right hand on your left ear and your left hand on your nose.
Finally, during the third line, shuffle your hands on top of each other in front of your chest or clap your hands while making them go from side to side.

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WADE IN THE WATER

Who's that yonder dressed in red, wade in the water.
Must be the Scouters that B-P led, wade in the water.
You've gotta shout "Hey, hey, what's the fact?
CFL is where it's at."
Wade in the water, wade in the water Scouters, wade in the water.
The Lord's gonna trouble the waters.

Who's that yonder dressed in white, wade in the water.
The campers that explore in the soft moonlight, wade in the water.
You've gotta shout "Hey, hey, what's the fact?
CFL is where it's at."
Wade in the water, wade in the water Scouters, wade in the water.
The Lord's gonna trouble the water.

Who's that yonder dressed in green, wade in the water.
Must be the counselors turning mean, wade in the water.
You've gotta shout "Hey, hey, what's the fact?
CFL is where it's at."
Wade in the water, wade in the water Scouters, wade in the water.
The Lord's gonna trouble the water.

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WALTZING MATILDA

Chorus
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
And he sang as he watched and he waited 'til his billy boiled.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.

Once a jolly swag man camped beside the billabong,
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree.
And he sang as he watched and he waited 'til his billy boiled.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me. CHORUS

Down came a jumbuck, to drink from the billabong.
Up jumped the swag man and grabbed him with glee.
And he stuffed that poor jumbuck in his old tucker bag,
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me. CHORUS

Well along came the Squater mounted on his thoroughbred,
Up jumped the troopers, one, two, three.
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me."

Well up jumped the swag man and sprang into the billabong
"You'll never take me alive" said he.
And his song can heard if you camp down by that billabong
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.

This song comes from "Down Under" which is why the words are goofy and unfamiliar. The lyrics are about a hobo camping beside a spring and catching a kangaroo. Then, he is caught by the mounted police and runs away, and dies, by jumping into the water.

GWH December 2000
I am indebted to Kathy Hatton from Melbourne, Australia, who sent me the following explanation which corrected many of the mistakes that I previously printed! A word of explanation:-

Swagman - a person who usually has no home (or who chooses not to live in it) but who travels around the country looking for work, moving from one short term job to another around the farms and large properties. They were very prevalent last century and during the Depression when work was hard to come by and there was no Unemployment Benefits (dole)

Swag - the bag of personal belongings that the swagman carries everywhere with him. It was often carried on the end of a stick which rested over one shoulder.

billy - billy can, a cooking pan used on outdoor fires, usually for boiling water, or for soup, stew, etc
billabong - spring, watering hole

jumbuck - young sheep

Tucker - is food, so a tuckerbag is the bag the swagman used to carry any food he acquired. Some property owners (the less wealthy) would pay for small jobs done by giving them food rather than money.

A Trooper is a mounted policeman ( this term is not used much these days)

A Squatter is a property owner who acquired the land by taking up residence and working it. It was never bought and paid for. Working on the principle that possession is nine tenths of the law, these men often squatted on and acquired very large tracts of land and became very wealthy. They were allowed to keep the land by the Government of the time as they needed people to settle in the new country.

MATILDA is another name for the swag and Waltzing it means carrying it from place to place with you in your travels.

The swagman was trying to steal a young sheep to supplement his depleted tuckerbag but got caught in the act. Stealing cattle or sheep was a very serious offence in those days and carried a stiff penalty. It would have meant a long term in jail, which someone who was used to travelling the open roads all his life would have found intolerable, so he committed suicide by drowning himself in the billabong rather than go to jail.

Hope this has cleared up some of the mysteries of this very Aussie traditional song.

Regards,
Kathy Hatton, Australia.
Member, Melbourne PC User Group.

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WASH E TASH

Oh..Hey, bonny shore and the wash-e-tash-e-tash.
Hey, bonny shore and the wash-e-tash-e-tash.
Cinka, hoya, ziggaty est que rue.
Que pase, que pase.
Ya hey ga zie ga hey ga zie ga,
Ziggaty zaggaty zug. (do not pass the cups on these words)
Ya hey ga zie ga hey ga zie ga,
Ziggaty zaggaty zug. (do not pass the cups on these words)

You sing this song while sitting in a circle on the ground or around a table. Sing the song through once, then hum, then pass the cups singing silently to yourself. If someone makes a mistake, they are out and play continues with the rest of the group until there is only one person left. If you really need help with this song or the explanation, contact Matt Wrzesczc.

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WE ARE THE MUSCLE MEN

We are the muscle men,
the muscle men, the muscle men.
We are the muscle men.
We come from Freeland Leslie.

Won't you be a muscle man,
a muscle man, a muscle man.
Won't you be a muscle man.
And come to Freeland Leslie.

This is how it works. The song is generally sung at least three times. You have a couple of dudes parading in front of the group making muscles and acting tough while singing the first two lines. During the second part of this song, they each grab two or three guys to come up and act tough with them. Then, during the second go round of the song the whole group, new and old song leaders, grab more people. This continues until almost the whole campfire audience is up front.

GWH
This originates from an English song:-
Have you seen the Muffin Man?
The Muffin Man, the Muffin man?
Have you seen the Muffin Man?
He comes from down our way. (or... from Drury Lane)

...and the reply is "Yes I've seen the Muffin Man..." etc

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WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

Oh when the saints, go marching in.
Oh when the saints go marching in.
Oh Lord I want to be in that number.
When the saints go marching in.

For all of the CFLers, you'll remember that this song is sung by the staff as they enter the Opening Campfire Bowl. It is sung as many times as it takes the staff to get to the bottom of the hill safely and up to the staff dressing area. And yes, it is hard to understand what we are saying as we are jarred around by a hard turf and as we trip and fall on all of the roots.

GWH
The words of this song, as sung during the Sunday night campfire entrance, have since transmuted into "Oh when the Staff go marching in...".

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WHERE OH WHERE ARE YOU TONIGHT?

CHORUS
Where oh where are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over and thought I found true love.
You met another and THPTHH you was gone.

I once met a girl who was from Montana.
Her spurs were of silver and she wore a bandana.
She rode a little pony that was blue and gray.
She told me that she loved me and then rode away. CHORUS

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WILD ROVER

I've been a wild rover for many a year,
And I've spent all my money on whisky and beer.
And now I'm returning with gold in great store
And I never will play the wild rover no more

CHORUS
And it's no - nay - never [clap - clap - clap - clap]
No nay never no more
Will I play the wold rover
No never, no more.

I went into an alehouse I used to frequent,
And I told the landlady my money was spent
I asked her for credit, she answered me, "Nay,
Sure 'tis custom like yours I can get any day." CHORUS

I took from my pocket gold sovereigns bright,
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight.
She said "Sir, we have ales and wines of the best,
And the words that I spoke they were only in jest." CHORUS

I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done,
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son.
And then they'll forgive me as oft times before
Then I swear I will play the wild rover no more. CHORUS

GWH98
This is a traditional drinking song and is often accompanied by the waving of drinking vessels containing whatever liquid is filling them at the time… It tells of a 'rover' - someone who would leave home and wander off to find his fortune, or at least make a living.

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WITH 'ER 'EAD TUCKED UNDERNEATH 'ER ARM
(With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm)

In the Tower of London, large as life,
The ghost of Anne Bolyn walks, they declare
For Anne Bolyn was once King Henry's wife
Until he made the headsman part her hair
Oh yes he did this wrong long years ago
And she comes back at night to tell him so.

CHORUS
With her head tucked underneath her arm
She walks the Bloody Tower
With her head tucked underneath her arm
At the midnight hour

She comes to haunt King Henry
She means giving him "what for"
Gadzooks! She's gonna tell him off
She's feeling rather sore
And just in case the headsman
Wants to give her an encore
She keeps her head tucked underneath her arm CHORUS

She walks the drafty corridors,
For miles and miles she goes
She often catches cold, you know,
It's cold there when it blows
And it's awfully awkward for the Queen
When she has to blow her nose
With her head tucked underneath her arm CHORUS

One night old King Henry laid a spread
For all his pals and gals, a ghostly crew
The headsman was about to carve the bread
When in comes Anne Bolyn to queer the "do"
She holds her head up with a wild war whoop
And Henry cries "Don't drop it in the soup" ("You silly cow!") CHORUS

The sentries think that it's a football [and/or basketball]
That she carries in
And when they've had a few they shout
"Which team is gonna win?"
They think she looks like ___________ [add name of personality]
Instead of poor old Anne Bolyn
With her head tucked underneath her arm CHORUS

One night she caught King Henry
He was in the canteen bar
Says he "Are you Jane Seymour,
Anne Bolyn, or Catherine Parr?"
"For how the sweet 'san fairy anne'
Do I know who you are...
With your head tucked underneath your arm. CHORUS

She comes to haunt King Henry
She means giving him "what for"
Gadzooks! She's gonna tell him off
She's feeling rather sore
And just in case the headsman
Wants to give her an encore
She keeps her head tucked underneath her arm CHORUS

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