Australian country music link Australia's vast distances. Isolation and loneliness of life in the Australian bush has been another theme. For much of its history, Australia's bush music belonged to an oral and folkloric tradition, and was only later published in print in volumes such as Banjo Paterson's "Old Bush Songs", in the 1890s. Waltzing Matilda, often regarded as Australia's unofficial National anthem, is a quintessential early Australian country song, influenced more by Celtic folk ballads than by American Country and Western music. The lyrics were composed by the poet Banjo Paterson in 1895. This strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing
Down in the Valley (folk song) migrant fruit pickers camp. http://www.halashby.co.uk/page18.html It is also used in the movie "Along the Great Divide" starring Kirk Douglas, Walter Brennan, Virginia Mayo, and John Agar although it was written long after the time period set of the movie. Down in the Valley (folk song) "Down in the Valley", also known as "Birmingham Jail", is a traditional country-blues American folk song. It has been recorded by many artists, and is included in the "Songs of Expanding America" recordings in the Burl Ives six-album set "Historical America in Song". The verses mentioning "Birmingham Jail" refer to the Birmingham City Jail which