Now come all you young fellas where ere you may be
Come listen awhile and I'll tell you
For it's many the young man myself I have seen
More fitted to serve than to die on the string
But those hard hearted judges how cruel they have been
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia.
Now when I was in service in fair London town
I worked long and hard for my master
Till those pretty young ladies they led me astray
And my work I neglected for sport and for play
And for to maintain it robbed on the highway
And for that I was sent to Virginia
And for that I was sent to Virginia.
Now when we got to Virginia, that cold shameful place
Which now I recall in my story
Our captain he stood with a whip and a cane
And he bargained for us, to be sold out of hand
Like horses they yoked us that ploughed the salt main
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia.
Now when I robbed on the highway well I lived at my ease
I laid down me head on soft feathers
With a glass in me hand and a lass on me knee
No robber in England lived better than me
Now me bed's the cold ground, far across the salt sea
And how is my fate in Virginia
And how is my fate in Virginia.
Oh England, oh England, I fear I'll not see more
If I do it's ten thousand to twenty
For me fingers and rotting and me back it is sore
And I wander around right down at death's door
But if I could just live to see seven years more
Well I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia
Yes I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia.
Come listen awhile and I'll tell you
For it's many the young man myself I have seen
More fitted to serve than to die on the string
But those hard hearted judges how cruel they have been
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia.
Now when I was in service in fair London town
I worked long and hard for my master
Till those pretty young ladies they led me astray
And my work I neglected for sport and for play
And for to maintain it robbed on the highway
And for that I was sent to Virginia
And for that I was sent to Virginia.
Now when we got to Virginia, that cold shameful place
Which now I recall in my story
Our captain he stood with a whip and a cane
And he bargained for us, to be sold out of hand
Like horses they yoked us that ploughed the salt main
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia.
Now when I robbed on the highway well I lived at my ease
I laid down me head on soft feathers
With a glass in me hand and a lass on me knee
No robber in England lived better than me
Now me bed's the cold ground, far across the salt sea
And how is my fate in Virginia
And how is my fate in Virginia.
Oh England, oh England, I fear I'll not see more
If I do it's ten thousand to twenty
For me fingers and rotting and me back it is sore
And I wander around right down at death's door
But if I could just live to see seven years more
Well I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia
Yes I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia.
Contributed by Pluck - 2024/1/18 - 10:37
Language: English
Australia - Traditional
AUSTRALIA
Come all you young fellows wheresome’er you may be,
Come listen awhile to my story.
For when I was a young man, my age seventeen,
I ought to be serving Victoria, our Queen.
But those hard-hearted judges, oh, how cruel they be
To send us poor young lads to Australia.
I fell in with a damsel, she was handsome and gay,
I neglected my work more and more every day,
And to keep her like a lady I went on the highway,
And for that I was sent to Australia.
Where the judges, they stand with their whips in their hands,
They drive us like horses to plough up the land.
You should see us poor young fellows, working in the jail-yard,
Oh, how hard is our fate in Australia.
Australia, Australia, I would ne’er see thee more,
I’m worn out with fever, cast down to Death’s door,
But if I live to see, say, seven years more,
I would then bid adieu to Australia.
Come all you young fellows wheresome’er you may be,
Come listen awhile to my story.
For when I was a young man, my age seventeen,
I ought to be serving Victoria, our Queen.
But those hard-hearted judges, oh, how cruel they be
To send us poor young lads to Australia.
I fell in with a damsel, she was handsome and gay,
I neglected my work more and more every day,
And to keep her like a lady I went on the highway,
And for that I was sent to Australia.
Where the judges, they stand with their whips in their hands,
They drive us like horses to plough up the land.
You should see us poor young fellows, working in the jail-yard,
Oh, how hard is our fate in Australia.
Australia, Australia, I would ne’er see thee more,
I’m worn out with fever, cast down to Death’s door,
But if I live to see, say, seven years more,
I would then bid adieu to Australia.
Contributed by Pluck - 2024/1/25 - 20:30
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As sung by Bob Fox - 2011
The song Virginny, dates to the 18th century (pre-American Independence) when British convicts were transported to Virginia. After the American Revolutionary War, the British government began to ship convicts to Australia instead, with over 160,000 convicts transported across an 80 year period. Even the convicts who hadn’t been transported for life—perhaps like this song’s narrator—rarely made it back to Britain; few of those with seven or fourteen year sentences could afford the return fare.
Mainly Norfolk
https://mainlynorfolk.info › songs
Australia / Virginny