Wallabies fans: bring back Waltzing Matilda

Bring it back!!!!!!! and get rid of political correctness. The haka is allowed to be performed and its performed by both white, Maori and islanders in the NZ team. I think the current wallabies themselves should be allowed to decide. I can still remember going to a world cup game with John Williamson signing Waltzing Matilda, when the chorus started teh crowd errupted. It still sends shivers down my spine.

Go hard Wallabies,go hard its by time that we start winning.Its long time that we are in the black dark sky of the All Blacks.We need to the world we still a force.Its by time that we sing the Waltzing Matilda with proud.Go Waltzing Matilda Go.

Also, why did we ever get rid of Waltzing Matilda?

Good point. I've always thought Australia had poor atmosphere at sporting events. We do get up for the really big ones, Olympics, Bledisloe cup, but in general we're quiet as a mouse. In contrast, the Irish football team just sang one of the most beautiful renditions of Fields of Athenry at Euro 2012. I wish Australia had the sort of singing culture. We just don't unfortunately.

Well said Irene being a lucky migrant myself to this magnificent country I can't think of anything better than being a part of the celebration of Waltzing Matilda before the Wallabies go into battle especially while droning out the Haka.What greater way to kick off a game with John Williamson playing this anthem with all his passion.I have been to many Wallaby games and listened and watched this sung with passion.And at least all the Australians didn't get eaten by their invaders. GO THE WALLABIES ONLY 3 MORE YEARS NOW NOT 24.

thanks lorry i am open minded and mature minded in my outlook so that is why i sound grown up and older.

Amazed that you are only 32 johnno, i thought you were something like 52

And gav sums up what needs to happen to get Australian support at all games, codes and the like up. Just grow a pair, and DO IT

art is an illusion spriggs, a imagery of reailty how the artiste sees the art that he wants to express to his audience or to the world.

Don't know if I'd be crowing so much KiwiDave... Yes, australia has a tainted past and indeed in many ways a tainted present with attitudes to refugees and indigenous people... However, NZ is no racial democracy... The Maori language has essentially been wiped out as a first language and the indigenous peoples have been very much assimilated into the coloniser society.....

I agree, Irene. The power of the arts is hard to explain, and that includes poetry and song lyrics. That power is real nonetheless. Just as the words of the haka have a mysterious appeal to New Zealanders (yet when translated seem somewhat strange), so do the lyrics (and tune) of Waltzing Matilda to Australians. Somehow they stir up the emotion, the love for this land and its people -- and not in any way in opposition to any other land or people. Somehow there is the appeal to a love of freedom over unfair authority, the link to the natural environment. People from other countries love to hear Australians sing Waltzing Matilda. If the opportunity comes on Saturday night, I will l be belting it out -- and I am looking forward to hearing the magnificent Welsh national anthem, one of the best in the world.

Er, ah.. NZ's past is not similarly tainted?

Maybe we could find something even better then, something really soft, how about .........I still call Australia home, delivered by Hugh Jackman..........in full Peter Allen style regalia......Come to think of it that would be the perfect fit for the Qantas Wallabies.

Ah now I understand, the hunger strikes at Villawood were really to get Waltzing Matilda banned. Outrageous ingrates they are! By the way, what "Aussie culture" were you referring to, the indigenous one which is over 50,000 years old, or that of the uninvited boat people and the convict hordes which followed which is more like 200 years old.

Irene thankyou for your response, you are a beautiful woman as many other men have complimented you on including me of course too. And also a very good writer too, in my opinion and others here. Well some feedback to your response and a very thoughtful response Irene from a beautiful woman such as yourself. So the answer of giving up links to our history. -Yes history stays with one forever, and maybe on that basis bring back waltzing matilda. -History never changes it had been done, but tradtiions change. -So maybe if we are to appeal to a more modern Australian audience to start traditions they will have to relate to it. I mean everyone passes away some time and statsitics of modern Australians vs old australians starts to change. Time keeps marching or moving along fast for all in our lifetime i can't' beleive im 32 now but still young but in 20 years the new generation may not know about waltzing matilda even less. All these words like baby boomers, generation Y and X come into it. I think there is now a generations Z -but that is the thing on statistics i think how many aussies in 2012 or looking forwad in my lieftime in 20/20 or 2030 will be able to relate to waltzing matilda in this internet and globalized world and multicultrual Australia. -I even wonder how many aussies have now heard of don bradman not as many as you would think Irene and others. some ideas for songs -Great southern land Icehouse was always a hit a great song and seems to get sung at some sports matches -I come from a land down under Men at Work - I love a sunburnt country is a good song to -The QANTAS ad's of the 90's I still call Australia home -Perhaps or someone could develop a new song -Stirring up the boys Irene on a saturday night is needed for sure when you go into battle these men have to show passion and emotion and fire to take on some of the best toughest rugby players in the world and the passion Irene all starts at home , with a song , to get the fans fired up, . These boys are not going to a nightclub Irene to impress someone they fancy with trying to play some saturday night fever disco songs, these men are going to take on the best rugby teams in the world the All blacks and springboks in a contact sport Irene, so need a song to stir up passion and motivation Irene. But here are some ideas i put up for what's it worth.

As a "new australian" myself, i dont mind the song. I feel it has this laidback, careless feel i like about the country. Thing is, when you play rugby after such a song, you better deliver if you dont wanna be labelled a softie. just sayin.

Also, the first line is about smoking pot in a combi-van and the chorus has a line about men vomiting. It's a great song, but it certainly isn't patriotic.

To hell with political correctness. The so called "new australians" should understand and accept the Aussie culture. After all they came to live here, so it's Australia, not the land they came from, and realise there are many differences in the two cultures. IMO, they MUST acknowledge AND accept those differences, not have Australia's changed to suit them. Do/would Aussies demand that another country change their culture for the benefit of the in-commers? .

Whoops I spelt your name wrong, Irene. I got distracted by your photo.

I say bring it back. After the all Black Haka, a war dance, the warrior within expressed, ancestors coming down....then faced with that pansy song...love it! Go all blacks!!! Half joking, Irean, I see your point. The Haka does give the All Blacks an edge, but it is hard to match that as it derives from a pure place. A Maori cultural custom...and it ignites deeply, and I mean deeply, to the spiritual core. It would seem Australia cannot quite go there, as their cultural past is......ahh, I’ll be diplomatic, you could say, tainted. So you could say the foundation to do something similar to the Haka is not there, perhaps not possible , so you look for something new....but it does not have the old ancient ways, so to speak, so its new and lacking depth and foundation, hence does not last…. just like the Waltzing Matilda.