Farewell to old England forever,
Farewell to my rum culls as well,
Farewell to the well known old Bailee,
Where I used to cut such a swell.
~~~Chorus~~~
Singing too-ral li-ooral li-ad-dity,
Singing too-ral li-ooral li-ay,
Singing too-ral li-ooral li-ad-dity,
Singing too-ral li-ooral li-ay.
There's the Captain as is our Commander,
There's the bo'sun and all the ship's crew,
There's the first and the second class passengers,
Knows what we poor convicts go through.
~~~Chorus~~~
'Taint leavin' old England we cares about,
'Taint cos we mispels what we knows,
But becos all we light-fingered gentry,
Hops around with a log on our toes.
~~~Chorus~~~
For seven long years I'll be staying here,
For seven long years and a day,
For meeting a cove in an area,
And taking his ticker away.
~~~Chorus~~~
Oh, had I the wings of a turtle-dove,
I'd soar on my pinions so high,
Slap bang to the arms of my Polly love,
And in her sweet presence I'd die.
~~~Chorus~~~
Now, all my young Dookies and Duchesses,
Take warning from what I've to say,
Mind all of your own as you touchesses.
Or you'll find us in Botany Bay.
~A Traditional Australian Ballad~
This is probably the best known of all Australian convict ballads, and although it talks of Botany Bay, the original settlement was in fact some distance to the North at Port Jackson (or Sydney Town) as Botany Bay was deemed unsuitable. However, the new penal colony that was to become a modern day Sydney was referred to by convicts as Botany Bay. Although it is set in the 1780's, this ballad was in fact written in the 1850's by Charles Thatcher (1838 ~ 1871)
To try and help you understand the words.
"Old Bailee" : Courts in London from where many convicts were sentenced to transportation to the Colonies. Originally that was to what is now the U.S.A., but after the American War Of Independence, a new Colony to transport convicts to, was founded in Australia.
"Cut such a swell" : To dress up and look good.
"Seven long years" : Most convicts were transported for seven or fourteen years although some were transported for life.
"A cove" : A person. To meet "a cove" is to meet another person.
"Dookies and Duchesses" : Dukes and Duchesses. English nobility.
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