“Waltzing Matilda”
January 30, 2011 § 1 Comment
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents…for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:9-10
Once a jolly Abraham camped down in Hebron,
Close to the shade of the great Mamre trees.
And he sang as he watched and listened to his billy boil:
“Who’ll come a waiting for someone with me?”
“Waiting for someone, waiting for someone,
Who’ll come a waiting for someone with me?”
And he sang as he watched and listened to his billy boil:
“Who’ll come a waiting for someone with me?”
Well Abraham had earlier been living in a country house,
The Lord however took him to some other territ’ry.
He said “Abram, I promise I will give you a descendant,
And I’ll bless him, ‘cos I’ll give him all the land that you can see.”
Well Abraham was doubtful that this blessed one could really come
From someone as old and decrepit as he.
But he figured that the Lord could do just anything he wanted to
And so after a bit of to-and-froing, he believed.
“Descendants! Descendants! At last some descendants!
And one special kiddie particularly.”
And he sang as he looked at the enormous bit of country
“Who’ll come a waiting for someone with me?”
Well Abraham he settled there, perhaps by a billabong,
But he settled in manner kind of temporary.
He decided he would shelter in a rough and ready camping tent,
And so a sort of swagman from then he would be.
“A camping! A camping! Who’ll come a camping?
Who’ll come a camping and waiting with me?”
And he sang as he looked at the extremely big locality,
Who’ll come a camping and waiting with me?
Once a jolly swagman, then, camped in a promised land,
Trusting in the Lord as he made a cup of tea.
And he sang as he wondered when the promised son would happ’ly come
Receiving all his territory permanently.
Waiting for someone, waiting for someone,
Waiting for the end of the era BC.
And he sang as he watched and listened to his billy boil:
“Who’ll come a waiting for someone with me?”
The Banjo Bible 
This poem is based on Genesis 12:1-9, 15:1-6, Galatians 3:16 and Hebrews 11:8-12. In the poem the words of the Lord are a paraphrase, Abraham’s words are imagined. You’ll notice the metre isn’t very consistent – I’ve really written this one to be sung.