Come all you Lachlan men and a sorrowful tale I'll tell
Concerning of a hero bold who through misfortune fell
His name it was Ben Hall a man of good renown
Who was hunted from his station and like a dog shot down
Three years he roamed the roads and he showed the traps some fun
A thousand pound was on his head with Gilbert and John Dunn
Ben parted from his comrades the outlaws did agree
To give away bushranging and cross the briney sea
Ben went to Goobang Creek and that was his downfall
For riddled like a sieve was valiant Ben Hall
Twas early in the morning upon the fifth of May
When the seven police surrounded him as fast asleep he lay
Bill Dargin he was chosen to shoot the outlaw dead
The troopers then fired madly and filled him full of lead
They rolled him in his blanket and strapped him to his prad
And they led him through the streets of Forbes to show the prize they had
Concerning of a hero bold who through misfortune fell
His name it was Ben Hall a man of good renown
Who was hunted from his station and like a dog shot down
Three years he roamed the roads and he showed the traps some fun
A thousand pound was on his head with Gilbert and John Dunn
Ben parted from his comrades the outlaws did agree
To give away bushranging and cross the briney sea
Ben went to Goobang Creek and that was his downfall
For riddled like a sieve was valiant Ben Hall
Twas early in the morning upon the fifth of May
When the seven police surrounded him as fast asleep he lay
Bill Dargin he was chosen to shoot the outlaw dead
The troopers then fired madly and filled him full of lead
They rolled him in his blanket and strapped him to his prad
And they led him through the streets of Forbes to show the prize they had
Contributed by Bartleby - 2010/10/28 - 14:28
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Probabilmente scritta da John McGuire, cognato del “bushranger” Ben Hall, subito dopo l’assassinio di quest’ultimo da parte della polizia.
Canzone molto famose nella tradizione australiana, interpretata da molti artisti. L’ho attribuita al folksinger Gary Shearston perchè mi pare che la sua registrazione, nel disco "Bolters, Bushrangers & Duffers" del 1965, sia una delle più risalenti.
Con Death of Ben Hall e Dunn, Gilbert and Ben Hall, un'altra canzone dedicata al fuorilegge australiano Ben Hall e a tutti i “bushrangers” ottocenteschi, uomini che si ribellarono alla schiavitù, alla prigionia, alla povertà e al Potere e per questo pagarono, quasi tutti, con la vita.