Lyr Add: Bound for Sydney Town (Warren Fahey)

Subject: Lyr Add: BOUND FOR SYDNEY TOWN (Warren Fahey)
From: plnelson
Date: 12 Jun 10 - 09:33 PM

This is my transcription of Warren Fahey's (Australian folklorist) version of "Bound for Sydney Town".   There's lots of overlap between this and "Boston Burgler", some versions of "Botany Bay", and "Bound for Charlestown"


BOUND FOR SYDNEY TOWN

I was brought up in London Town
A place I know full well
Raised up by honest parents
The truth to you I'll tell
Raised up by honest parents
And reared most tenderly
Until I became a sporting blade
At the age of twenty-three

My character was taken
And I was sent to the gaol
The people tried to bail me out
but it was all in vain
The jury found me guilty
And the clerk he wrote it down
Sayin', John my son what have ye done
You're bound for Sydney Town

To see my aged father
And he's standing at the bar
Likewise me aged mother
And she's tearing of her hair
A-tearing of her old grey locks
And the tears came mingle down, saying
"John, my son what have you done
You're bound for Sydney Town?"

It was on the 28th of May
From England we did steer,
And all things being safe on board
we sailed on the river clear.
And every ship that we passed by
we heard the sailors say
"There goes a ship of clever lads
and they're bound for Botany Bay"

There is a girl in London Town,
A girl I know full well,
And if ever I get my liberty,
'Tis with her I will dwell'
If ever I get my liberty,
Bad company I will shun
the robbing of the London bank
and the drinking of the rum

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sydney Town
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Jun 10 - 06:46 PM

Nice to see the connection.

Charley Noble