When the Rain Tumbles Down in July
Encyclopedia
"When the Rain Tumbles Down in July" is an Australian country music
song written by Slim Dusty
. It has been covered by several other artists.
singer Slim Dusty
, Australia's most prolific musical artist. He wrote the song aged 18, while living at Nulla Nulla Creek, New South Wales
in 1945. In 1947, Dusty signed his first recording contract with the Columbia Graphophone Co.
for the Regal Zonophone label and recorded six titles including "When The Rain Tumbles Down In July". The song remained a standard for Dusty until his death in 2003.
, evocative of the tradition of Australian bush poetry. It concerns the flood season in the mountainous Macleay Valley where Slim Dusty grew up in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Australian country music
Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodelling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, by the traditions of Australian bush balladeers, as well as by popular American...
song written by Slim Dusty
Slim Dusty
David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and producer, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson that represented the Australian Bush...
. It has been covered by several other artists.
About the song
"When the Rain Tumbles Down in July" is one of the earliest compositions of Australian country musicAustralian country music
Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodelling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, by the traditions of Australian bush balladeers, as well as by popular American...
singer Slim Dusty
Slim Dusty
David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and producer, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson that represented the Australian Bush...
, Australia's most prolific musical artist. He wrote the song aged 18, while living at Nulla Nulla Creek, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1945. In 1947, Dusty signed his first recording contract with the Columbia Graphophone Co.
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
for the Regal Zonophone label and recorded six titles including "When The Rain Tumbles Down In July". The song remained a standard for Dusty until his death in 2003.
Content
The song is a bush balladBush ballad
Bush songs or bush ballads are a folk music and poetry tradition in Australia's outback. The rhyming songs, poems and tales often relate to the itinerant and rebellious spirit of Australia, a young country. The lyrical tradition of bush songs was born of settlers and influenced by Aboriginal...
, evocative of the tradition of Australian bush poetry. It concerns the flood season in the mountainous Macleay Valley where Slim Dusty grew up in the 1930s and early 1940s.