Botany Bay
first published 1885 in
'Little Jack Sheppard'

Farewell to old England for ever,
Farewell to my rum culls as well,
Farewell to the well-known Old Bailey
Where I used for to cut such a swell.

Chorus:
Singing too-ral-li, oo-ral-li, addity,
Singing too-ral-li, oo-ral-li, ay,
Singing too-ral-li, oo-ral-li, addity,
And we're bound for Botany Bay.

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.

'Taint leaving old England we cares about,
'Taint cos we mis-spells what we knows,
But because all we light-fingered gentry
Hops around with a log on our toes.

These seven long years I've been serving now
And seven long more have to stay
All for bashing a bloke down our alley
And taking his ticker away.

Oh, had I the wings of a turtle-dove,
I'd soar on my pinions so high,
Straight back to the arms of my Polly love,
And in her sweet presence I'd die.

Now all my young Dukeys and Duchesses,
Take warning from what I've to say:
Mind all is your own as you toucheses
Or you'll find us in Botany Bay.