Botany Bay
Traditional:
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com
Come all ye young men of learning and a warning take from me
I would have you quit night walking and shun bad company
I would have you quit night walking er else you'll rue the day
You'll rue your transportation lads when you're bound for Botany Bay
I was brought up in London town at a place I know full well
Brought up by honest parents for the truth to tell
Brought up by honest parents and reared most tenderly
Till I became a roving blade which proved my destiny
My character was shaken and I was sent to jail
My friends they tried to clear me but nothing could prevail
At the old Bailey sessions the judge to me did say
The jury found you guilty lad so you go to Botany Bay
It was on May the twenty eight from England we did steer
And all things being safe on board we sailed down the river clear
And every
ship that we passed by we heard the sailors say
Good thing it's them not us - Ho- Ho that are bound for Botany Bay
There is a girl in Manchester a girl I know quite well
And if I ever get set free with her I intend to dwell
Which means, I mean to marry her And no more go astray
I'll shun all evil company
bid adieu to Botany Bay
The author of this website has put a lot of time and effort into gathering the greatest collection of sea shanties for the world to enjoy - There are songs that have been to sung to a job of work at sea for many, many years and collecting them has been a great endeavour. - Roger Chartier has made the effort out of his own interest and the requests that he has gotten to do this work from fellow musicians who wanted a good source of sea shanties to draw on and learn from. He has been told that for this effort he is a remarkable man.
