Botany Bay

Botany Bay

Singing too-rall, li-oo-rall, li-ad-di-ty,
Singing too-rall, li-oo-rall, li-ay,
Singing too-rall, li-oo-rall, li-ad-di-ty
For we're bound for Botany Bay

Farewell to Old England forever
Farewell to my rum culls as well
Farewell to the well known Old Bailee
Where I used for to cut such a swell

There's the captain as is our commandeer,
There's bo'sun and all the ship's crew
There's first and the second class passengers,
Knows what we poor convicts goes through.

'Taint leaving Old England we cares about,
'Taint 'cos we miss-spells wot we knows
But becos all we light finger'd gentry
Hops around with a log on our toes.

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.

Now all my young Dookies and Duchesses,
Take heed of what I've to say,
Mind all is your own as you toucheses,
Or you'll join us in Botany Bay.

Florian Pascal

This song is taken from a musical 'Little Jack Sheppard' which dates from the 1880s The song was very popular for many years. It certainly was in the fifties and sixties when I learned it at Kelmscott Primary School in WA when I was a kid, and then at various stages through my schooling years. It doesn't seem to be as well known now, though. I have just rediscovered it and many other Australian stories and ballads in the writings of Bill Wannan in his book 'The Australian'. Its a fascinating read because it takes you to a world that was real a hundred or two years ago in this great land of ours, Australia! You can get a copy of it here, although it is long out of print.

Willem

ThisIsAustralia.com.au