The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #52318   Message #1822019
Posted By: Helen
29-Aug-06 - 04:26 PM
Thread Name: Favorite songs with Nonsense refrains
Subject: RE: Favorite songs with Nonsense refrains
Botany Bay has always been a favourite of mine, because I like the melody and because it brings history to life a bit, and because there is a bit of humour in it, e.g. the last verse.

Botany Bay

Farewell to olde England forever
Farewell to my olde pals as well
Farewell to the well known Old Bailey
Where I once used to look such a swell.

Chorus:

    Singing Too-ral Li-ooral li-ad-dity
    Singing too-ral li-ooral li-ay
    Singing too-ral li-ooral li-ad-dity
    And we're bound for Botany Bay
------------------
Now all my young Dukies and Duchesses
Take a warning from what I'd to say
Mind all is your own that you toucheses
Or you'll find us in Botany Bay

(The DT has this to say about it. It's not a convict-written song, but I still like it.)

BOTANY BAY (3)
First published in Sydney Golden Songster in 1893
This song is a burlesque, written by Stephens and Yardley, from the comedy
'Little Jack Shepherd' that played in London in 1885, and in Melbourne in
1886.

'Botany Bay' shares two verses with 'Fairwell to Judges and Juries' a
broadside c.1820