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
The jury found me guilty and says the judge, says he
“For life, Jim Jones, I’m sending you across the stormy sea

You’ll take a trip on a convict ship, you’ll join the iron gang
Don’t get too gay in Botany Bay or else you’ll surely hang
Or else you’ll surely hang, ” he says, “And after that, Jim Jones
It’s high upon the gallows tree, the crows will pick your bones”

Our ship was high upon the sea when pirates came along
But the soldiers on our convict ship were full five hundred strong
They opened fire and somehow drove that pirate ship away
But I’d rather have joined that pirate ship than have gone to Botany Bay

With the storms a ragin’ round me and the wind a blowin’ gale
I’d rather have drowned in misery than have gone to New South Wales
There’s no time for mischief there they say, remember that says they
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, we must fill dishonoured graves
But it’s by and by I’ll slip my chains and to the bush I’ll go
And I’ll join the brave bushrangers 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
I’ll give the law no little shock remember what I say
They’ll yet regret they sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay