Jim Jones

Come and listen for a moment, lads And hear me tell my tale How across the sea from England I was condemned to sail Now the jury found me guilty Then says the judge, says he "Oh, for life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you Across the stormy sea But take a trip before you ship To join the iron gang Don't get too gay in Botany Bay Or else you'll surely hang Or else you'll surely hang", says he "And after that Jim Jones It's high above on the gallows tree The crows will pick your bones" And our ship was high upon the sea When pirates came along But the soldiers on our convict ship Were full five hundred strong For they opened fire and somehow drove That pirate ship away But I'd rather have joined that pirate ship Than gone to Botany Bay With the storms ragin' round us And the winds a-blowin' gale I'd rather have drowned in misery Than gone to New South Wales There's no time for mischief there they say Remember that, says they Or they'll flog the poaching out of you Down there in Botany Bay Now it's day and night and the irons clang And like poor galley slaves We toil and toil, and when we die Must fill dishonored graves And it's by and by I'll slip my chains Well, into the bush I'll go And I'll join the bravest rankers there Jack Donohue and co And some dark night, when everything Is silent in the town I'll shoot those tyrants one and all I'll gun the floggers down Oh, I'll give the land a little shock Remember what I say And they'll yet regret they've sent Jim Jones In chains to Botany Bay