SWEET MATHILDA WALTZ
DATSON HUGHES
PRODUCER MEJU
MASTERING John Ruberto
Recorded at THE GREENROOM STUDIO
Masterpiece Records
LYRICS AND LINER NOTES:
We all know the words to that old Banjo Paterson song about the ill-fated sheep and the unfortunate swag man by a billabong, but that story is missing something. I wondered what the guy had to be jolly about – the life of an itinerant worker at the turn of the 19th Century was nothing to sing about. It was a time not unlike our own, with a vast gap between rich and poor which saw many homeless men on the road trying to beg, steal or borrow a living in the bush. This song is set in the first verse of the original, before the arrival of the Squatter and his troopers. This is the song I imagine him singing – the reason he is so happy.
It was an interesting song writing process. The lyrics wind around a loop of music Geoffrey selected from a recording of a jam with our sometime drummer, Dave Bonnefoy. He rediscovered it while going though old tapes. The lyrics, full of love and loss and longing for reconnection and resolution, just seemed to emerge fully formed.
Originally I imagined the clip for this song being filmed in an old wooden country hall, starring my parents who were ballroom dancers. As a child in the 60s, to see my father spin mum around the floor at family weddings was a marvel – just like Fred and Ginger – but when Mum descended into Alzheimers it was too late. The day I recorded the vocals was extremely difficult. We were set to go when Dad rang to say they had a place for Mum in full- time care. She loved the old songs . We can still sing sing her favorite old songs together. This song is dedicated to Ray and Hazel and their 60 year marriage which they will celebrate in March.
1. Sweet Mathilda Waltz
123 123 123 123
Waltz me round again
You know that I'm a drifter, tonight could be the end
Sweet Mathilda, run you round again
Mathilda, turn me down again
You know I saw it coming, when we lost it on that bender
Sweet Mathilda, waltz me round again
Sweet Mathilda, down again
Mathilda, Mathilda, Waltz me round again
123 123 123 123
Spin me out again
But you won't see me coming when it's time to start again
Sweet Mathilda take my hand again
be my baby, be my baby again
you know there's bad times coming and we both could use a friend
Sweet Mathilda Waltz me round again
Sweet Mathilda Waltz me round again
Waltz me round again
123 123 123 123
DATSON HUGHES
PRODUCER MEJU
MASTERING John Ruberto
Recorded at THE GREENROOM STUDIO
Masterpiece Records
LYRICS AND LINER NOTES:
We all know the words to that old Banjo Paterson song about the ill-fated sheep and the unfortunate swag man by a billabong, but that story is missing something. I wondered what the guy had to be jolly about – the life of an itinerant worker at the turn of the 19th Century was nothing to sing about. It was a time not unlike our own, with a vast gap between rich and poor which saw many homeless men on the road trying to beg, steal or borrow a living in the bush. This song is set in the first verse of the original, before the arrival of the Squatter and his troopers. This is the song I imagine him singing – the reason he is so happy.
It was an interesting song writing process. The lyrics wind around a loop of music Geoffrey selected from a recording of a jam with our sometime drummer, Dave Bonnefoy. He rediscovered it while going though old tapes. The lyrics, full of love and loss and longing for reconnection and resolution, just seemed to emerge fully formed.
Originally I imagined the clip for this song being filmed in an old wooden country hall, starring my parents who were ballroom dancers. As a child in the 60s, to see my father spin mum around the floor at family weddings was a marvel – just like Fred and Ginger – but when Mum descended into Alzheimers it was too late. The day I recorded the vocals was extremely difficult. We were set to go when Dad rang to say they had a place for Mum in full- time care. She loved the old songs . We can still sing sing her favorite old songs together. This song is dedicated to Ray and Hazel and their 60 year marriage which they will celebrate in March.
1. Sweet Mathilda Waltz
123 123 123 123
Waltz me round again
You know that I'm a drifter, tonight could be the end
Sweet Mathilda, run you round again
Mathilda, turn me down again
You know I saw it coming, when we lost it on that bender
Sweet Mathilda, waltz me round again
Sweet Mathilda, down again
Mathilda, Mathilda, Waltz me round again
123 123 123 123
Spin me out again
But you won't see me coming when it's time to start again
Sweet Mathilda take my hand again
be my baby, be my baby again
you know there's bad times coming and we both could use a friend
Sweet Mathilda Waltz me round again
Sweet Mathilda Waltz me round again
Waltz me round again
123 123 123 123