> > "Waltzing Matilda" is sort of a national song in Australia (don't know if it's their official
> > national anthem or not).
>
> It is.

Actually, no. It's just a catchy ditty that everyone in the country knows off by heart, unlike our actual national anthem.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure if we've actually got a national anthem, since anthems technically have to mention God, but our official national song that everybody calls the national anthem is "Advance Australia Fair".


Tip: "Waltzing Matilda" is about a swagman who steals a farmer's sheep and then commits suicide rather than let the police arrest him. "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is about a bloke who goes off to the First World War and comes back short a couple of legs. They're not actually easy to confuse once you've heard both of them.


Paul

PS. From time to time there are attempts to get "Waltzing Matilda" installed as the national anthem/song, but they've all failed. I'm not sorry; I don't think I'd want to live in a country that defines itself by a song about a suicidal sheep thief.