Jim Jones in Botany Bay Songtext

von Martin Carthy

Oh come listen for a moment lads and hear me tell my tale:
How o'er the seas from England I was condemned to sail.
The jury found me guilty And says the judge, says he:
"Oh, for life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you across the raging sea.

And take my tip before you ship to join the iron gang:
Don't get too gay on Botany Bay or else you'll surely hang.
Or else you'll hang," he says, says he, "And after that Jim Jones,
It is high upon the gallows tree The crows will pick your bones.

You'll have no chance for mischief there, remember what I say:
They'll flog the poaching out of you out there on Botany Bay."
Let the wind fly in torrents and the wind blow up in gales:
Oh I'd rather die in misery than go to New South Wales

Well, the sea it flew in torrents and the pirates came along;
But the soldiers all on board our ship, they were full five hundred strong.
They opened fire and soon they drove that pirate ship away
Oh I'd rather have gone on a pirate ship than gone to Botany Bay.

Where day and night the irons clang and like poor galley slaves
We toil and toil and when we die we fill dishonoured graves.
But by and by I'll break my chains and into the bush I'll go;
And I'll join the brave bushrangers there, Jack Donahue and Co.

And one dark night when everything is silent in the town
I'll kill the tyrants one by one and I'll shoot the floggers down.
I'll give the law one little shock; remember what I say:
Oh they'll yet regret they've sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay.