Shores of Botany Bay Songtext

von Irish Rovers

I'm on my way down to the quay, where the ship at anchor lays
To command a gang of navvys, that they told me to engage
I thought I'd drop in for a drink before I sail away
For to take a trip on an emigrant ship to the shores of Botany Bay

Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lime
Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
And to hell with your overtime
For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back
To the shores of Botany Bay

The best years of our life we spent at
Working on the docks
Building mighty wharves and quays
Of earth and ballast rocks
Our pensions keep our jobs secure
But I won't rue the day
When I take a trip on an immigrant ship
To the shores of Botany Bay

Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lime
Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
And to hell with your overtime
For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back
To the shores of Botany Bay

The boss comes up this morning
And he says, "Well, Pat, hello
If you don't mix the mortar quick
I'm afraid you'll have to go"
Well, of course he did insult me
I demanded all me pay
And I told him straight I was going to emigrate
To the shores of Botany Bay

Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lime
Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
And to hell with your overtime
For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back
To the shores of Botany Bay

And when I reach Australia
I'll go and search for gold
There's plenty there for the digging up
Or so I have been told
And when I may be fortuned
There'll be no more bricks to lay
But I'll take me easy
Doing what I've pleased on the Shores of Botany Bay

Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lime
Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
And to hell with your overtime
For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back
To the shores of Botany Bay

Farewell to your bricks and mortar, farewell to your dirty lime
Farewell to your gangers and gang planks
And to hell with your overtime
For the good ship Ragamuffin, she's lying at the quay
For to take oul Pat with a shovel on his back
To the shores of Botany Bay

END