In less than an hour, it will be 2011 and I was wondering how to blog about the New Year and the year ending. I thought I would put a song here, it would be more eloquent than the clichés I could type about, well, about time passing. Can be escape clichés when talking about new year?
I was distractly watching a documentary on Rolf Harris recently, and his interpretation of Waltzing Matilda struck me. I knew vaguely that song (from Secret Valley, a children program I used to watch, which used the music but with different lyrics for the theme song), but I literally fell in love with it. Of course I felt in love the way I usually do: flat on my face, heart beating fast, spirit uplifted as if I was an Australian. It got stuck in my head and I want this to be my new drinking song, my Odyssey song (read: my travel song) and, since it will be New Year, my New Year song. I don't know why I fell in love with Waltzing Matilda. I am not particularly into Australia, although I admire some of its actors, particularly Cate Blanchett to whom my admiration is close to worship (which reminds me that I did not spend an evening with her in a long time), I was fascinated as a child about its wildlife and I really want to go to the Sydney Opera House once in my life. Okay, enough reasons to love the country I guess, but my love for this particular folk song is still a mystery to me. Somehow it reminds me of the Irish folk songs I am quite fond of. And the New Year is a good reason as any to put it on this blog. So here it is, sang by Rolf Harris:
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5 comments:
Happy New Year to You Guillaume.
I hope you and Mrs. Guillaume are flying around the room waltzing to this right now.. it is only Right!!!
Its a song full of optimism and hope as we enter a new year with all of our hopes, dreams and secret wishes. Happy New Year :-)
I love this song. I was lucky enough to spend some time in Australia years ago. It is truly a beautiful country.
Happy New Year!
Catching up on posts that I haven't had time to read over the holiday! I have always adored Waltzing Matilda & believe that it should be Australia's anthem! Now that my sister & family live there, it has special meaning. Thank you for posting it & you MUST go to the wonderful land of Oz one day! xo Rachel
Happy New year to all.
@Gwen-I don't dance much, but I do intend to learn this song and sing it.
@Anonymous-You are right, this is a song that has optimism (even though the main protagonist dies, he survives as a ghost). We can always use more hope and optimism.
@Hallowen Spirit-I want to visit it one day.
@Mozart's Girl-I have to, don't I?
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