Editing Waltzing Matilda (section)

===Alternative theories and myths===
There has been speculation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/index.php?p=c1-06|url-status=dead|via=National Library of Australia|title=The Bold Fusilier|date=1 June 2011|access-date=7 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614211352/http://www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmatilda/index.php?p=c1-06|archive-date=14 June 2011}}</ref> about the similarity of "Waltzing Matilda" and a British song, "The Bold Fusilier" or "The Gay Fusilier" (also known as "Marching through Rochester", referring to [[Rochester, Kent|Rochester]] in Kent and the [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|Duke of Marlborough]]). Author Matthew Richardson writes that a "direct creative link is indisputable" between the two and that Banjo Paterson would have been familiar with "The Bold Fusilier" and was likely guided by the pattern and sound.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Richardson|first=Matthew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_PZAAAAMAAJ|title=Once a Jolly Swagman: The Ballad of Waltzing Matilda|date=2006|publisher=Melbourne University Publishing|isbn=978-0-522-85308-7|pages=116, 122, 123|language=en}}</ref> The similarity is so obvious that one is clearly a copy of the other. "The Bold Fusilier" is dated by some to the start of the 18th century.<ref>''[[The Times]]'', 15 September 2003, "Sporting anthems", Section: Features; p. 17.</ref> 
In the early 1900s only one verse and chorus of the song were known. This snippet was printed in ''The Bulletin'' magazine in Sydney, Australia on 8 October 1941.<ref>May, Sydney. The Story of Waltzing Matilda, 1955. W. R. Smith & Paterson PTY. LTD. Brisbane. P 27</ref>
<blockquote><poem>Verse: A gay fusilier was marching down through Rochester
Bound for the wars in the low country,
And he cried as he tramped through the drear streets of Rochester,
Who'll be a sojer for Marlboro with me?</poem></blockquote>
<blockquote><poem>Chorus: Who'll be a sojer, Who'll be a sojer,
Who'll be a sojer for Marlboro with me?
And he cried as he tramped through the drear streets of Rochester,
Who'll be a sojer for Marlboro with me?</poem></blockquote> The song sung today has the musical form AABA and is sung to the same tune as Marie Cowan's "Waltzing Matilda", published in Sydney, Australia, in 1903. The lyrics describe events as happening in Rochester, England, during the reign of Queen Anne, 1702 to 1714. It was widely, though not universally, accepted that the song was written at that time.<ref>May, Sydney. The Story of Waltzing Matilda, 1944. W. R. Smith & Paterson PTY. LTD. Brisbane. P 17</ref> English folklore authority [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] considered that the earlier existence of the song was very doubtful because its language was not appropriate to the early eighteenth century.<ref>Magoffin, Richard. 'Waltzing Matilda, Ballad of the Fair Go', second edition 2005, Pictorial Press, Australia, PO Box 388, Corinda, Qld, 4075 page 6</ref> There is no documentary proof that "The Bold Fusilier" existed before 1900.<ref>ibid</ref> The song has the musical form AABA, which suggests a much later origin. On the other hand, the origin of "Waltzing Matilda" can be traced from "Thou Bonny Wood of Craigie Lee" published in 1818. Hearsay evidence exists that "Waltzing Matilda" was sung by Australian soldiers in South Africa during the Boer War and that the British troops returned friendly fire by singing "The Gay/Bold Fusilier" as a parody. 
In about 1970, English folk singer Peter Coe reworked the existing first verse and chorus and added another four verses. This song, a timeless comment about war, is quite popular today and has spawned other similar lyrics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Gay Fusilier / Marching Through Rochester / The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant [trad. / Pete Coe]|url=https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/thegayfusilier.html|access-date=2024-04-19|website=mainlynorfolk.info}}</ref> Peter's song is called "The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant".

In his 1987 book, Richard Magoffin speculated that the music of "Waltzing Matilda" may have been sourced from an Irish Jig, "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself", which was probably composed by Irishman, John Field, and which began to appear in print about 1797. In a letter to Magoffin, the City Librarian of Dublin Library said that he thought he could detect a slight resemblance in it to "Waltzing Matilda".  This is very tenuous evidence. Magoffin also went to say that it would be nice to think that the Irish have played a part in providing Australia with her song.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself – John Field – Peter Medhurst|url=https://petermedhurst.com/recordings/go-to-the-devil-and-shake-yourself-john-field/|access-date=2024-04-19}}</ref><ref>Magoffin, Richard. (1987). "Waltzing Matilda, The Story behind the Legend." ABC Enterprises for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation P 28, 29. ISBN 0 642 53047 5</ref>

Until the internet arrived, it was extremely difficult for researchers to access old music. Now, with YouTube and digital collections of old music, it is a quick and simple task. An audio file of "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself" can be heard, and the sheet music can be viewed, in the external links, at the above references and numerous other websites. It is now obvious to anyone that there is no resemblance between it and "Waltzing Matilda".<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6NJRwplkMQ|title=John Field – Rondo on 'Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself'|language=en|access-date=2024-04-19|via=YouTube}}</ref>