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
Waltzing Matilda from this text: <poem style="margin-left: 2em;">Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabongs, Under the shade of a Coolibah tree, And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling, "Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?" "Chorus:" Who'll come a waltzing Matilda, my darling, Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me? Waltzing Matilda and leading a water-bag, Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me? Down came a jumbuck to drink at the waterhole, Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee, And he sang as he put him away in the tucker-bag, You'll come a