Botany Bay by William Meyer Lutz recalls the British colony where Undesirables of the Crown were sent to “start a new life.” It was popular in London musicals in the latter part of the 19th century, though it may have been written before that time. eight handbells
Farewell to old England forever / Farewell to my rum culls as well
Farewell to the well known Old Bailey / Where I used for to cut such a swell
Singing Tooral liooral liaddity / Singing Tooral liooral liay
Singing Tooral liooral liaddity / And we’re bound for Botany Bay
There’s the captain as is our commander / There’s the bosun 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
Slap bang to the arms of my Polly love / And in her sweet presence I’d die
Now all my young Dookies and Dutchesses / Take warning from what I’ve to say
Mind all is your own as you toucheses / Or you’ll find us in Botany Bay.
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