<P> And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda is a song written by Scottish - born Australian singer - songwriter Eric Bogle in 1971 . The song describes war as futile and gruesome, while criticising those who seek to glorify it . This is exemplified in the song by the account of a young Australian soldier who is maimed at the Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War . The song's imagery evokes the devastation at the Gallipoli Landings . The protagonist, who had travelled across rural Australia before the war, is emotionally devastated by the loss of his legs in battle . As the years pass he notes the death of other veterans, while the younger generation becomes apathetic to the veterans and their cause . The song incorporates, at its conclusion, the melody and a few lines of lyrics of the 1895 song Waltzing Matilda by Australian poet Banjo Paterson . </P> <P> Many cover versions of the song have been performed and recorded . </P>

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