Botany Bay (2)

Trad

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

Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-addity
Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-ay
Singin too-ral-liooral-li-addity
And we’ll see you in 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 goes through

Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-addity
Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-ay
Singin too-ral-liooral-li-addity
And we’ll see you in Botany Bay

‘Taint leaving old England we cares about
‘Taint ’cause we mis-spells what we knows
But because all we light fingered gentry
Hops around with a log on our toes

Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-addity
Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-ay
Singin too-ral-liooral-li-addity
And we’ll see you in Botany Bay

Oh had I the wings of a turtledove
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

Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-addity
Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-ay
Singin too-ral-liooral-li-addity
And we’ll see you in Botany Bay

Now all my young dookies and duchesses
Take warning from what I’ve to say
Mind all is your own as you touchesses
Or we’ll see you in Botany Bay

Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-addity
Singing too-ral-li-ooral-li-ay
Singin too-ral-liooral-li-addity
And we’ll see you in Botany Bay

Laura Black from Australia writes: “Another song I have for you is Botany Bay. While browsing the archive recently, I noticed that you already have a song of that name, but then realised that it is just a variation of The Shores of Botany Bay. The song by the name of Botany Bay is actually a completely different song, and instead of being about an emigrant, it is about an English convict being transported to the penal settlement at Botany Bay. It is believed to date from around the early 1800’s.