> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > Jim Jones at Botany Bay
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Jim Jones at Botany Bay

[ Roud 5478 ; Ballad Index PBB096 ; trad.]

The transportation ballad Jim Jones at Botany Bay was probably written around 1830 as it mentions Jack Donahue, a bush ranger since 1825 until he was shot in 1830. It is often sung to a tune from Australian Mick Slocum.

A.L. Lloyd recorded this ballad twice, in 1957 for the Australian EP Convicts and Currency Lads and in 1971 for the album The Great Australian Legend. Lloyd wrote on the latter album's backside:

Charles Macalister, who drove bullock-teams in south-eastern New South Wales in the 1840s, included the text of this remarkable convict ballad in his book of reminiscences, Old Pioneering Days in the Sunny South (Goulburn, N.S.W, 1907). Otherwise, we'd never have known it. Macalister said it was sung to the tune of Irish Molly O, a vague title covering several melodies. The one used here is nowadays the most usual for Jim Jones. It appeared on a Sydney broadside in the 1950s.

and in the accompanying booklet:

The Australian likes to think of himself as casual, independent, tough. For casualness, they tell of a station hand taking an after-lunch nap by the stockyard rails. A deadly snake is making for him. A fellow shouts: “Hey Snow, there's a snake by your foot.” Snow opens one eye and says: “Which foot?” Take independence. An old swagman is tramping across the empty plain with his blanket-roll. Up drives a wealthy sheep-owner in his car, asks: “D'you want a lift?” The swaggie says: “No. Open your own flamin' gates.” As for toughness, here's a pioneer's report, from the early days in New South Wales, on the flogging of convicts:

On two occasions I saw men, bleeding as they were, deliberately spit, after the punishment, in the flogger's face. One of them told Black Francis he couldn't flog hard enough to kill a butterfly.

Black Francis was the flogger at Goulburn Gaol in the 1830's until someone shot him at Run o' Water Creek. The grim song Jim Jones is from around that time, and perhaps the man who made it knew Black Francis. The composition of the song may be dated by its reference to the bushranger Jack Donahue, who escaped the gallows and took to the bush in 1828, and was shot and killed by the mounted police near Campbelltown, N.S.W. on September 1, 1830. The song tells us much of the hardships of the old penal settlements, and of the feelings of the men transported from England to a strange, as yet unmade world.

Martin Carthy recorded Jim Jones in Botany Bay—set to a traditional tune—for his 1998 album Signs of Life. He commented in the sleeve notes:

I always thought that Jim Jones was an English as well as an Australian song, but it didn't take that many conversations with snarling Melbourne chums to convince me otherwise. It really is a mighty song. Anon strikes again.

He also sang it in 2002 live at the 23rd Annual Sea Music Festival at Mystic Seaport.

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings Jim Jones at Botany Bay

Oh, listen for a moment, lads, and hear me tell me tale,
How o'er the sea from England's shore I was obliged to sail.
The jury says: “He's guilty, sir,” and says the judge, says he:
“For life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you across the stormy sea.
And take my tip before you ship to join the iron gang,
Don't be too gay at Botany Bay or else you'll surely hang.
Or else you'll surely hang,“ says he, “and after that, Jim Jones,
High upon the gallows tree the crows will pick your bones.
You'll have no chance for mischief then, remember what I say:
They'll flog the poaching out of you down there at Botany Bay.”

The wind blew high upon the sea and the pirates come along,
But the soldiers in our convict ship was nigh five hundred strong.
They opened fire and somehow drove that pirate ship away.
I'd rather have joined the skull-and-bones than go to Botany Bay.

Now night and day the irons clang, and like poor galley-slaves
We toil and strive and when we die, we fill dishonoured graces.
But by and by I'll break me chains and to the bush I'll go,
And join the brave bushrangers there like Donahue and Co.

And some dark night when everything is silent in the town,
I'll kill them tyrants one by one and shoot the floggers down.
I'll give the law a little shock, remember what I say,
They'll yet regret they sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay.

Martin Carthy sings Jim Jones in Botany Bay

Oh come listen for a moment lads and hear me tell my tale:
How o'er the seas from England I was condemned to sail.
The jury found me guilty And says the judge, says he:
“Oh, for life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you across the raging sea.

And take my tip before you ship to join the iron gang:
Don't get too gay on Botany Bay or else you'll surely hang.
Or else you'll hang,” he says, says he, “And after that Jim Jones,
It is high upon the gallows tree The crows will pick your bones.

You'll have no chance for mischief there, remember what I say:
They'll flog the poaching out of you out there on Botany Bay.”
Let the wind fly in torrents and the wind blow up in gales:
Oh I'd rather die in misery than go to New South Wales

Well, the sea it flew in torrents and the pirates came along;
But the soldiers all on board our ship, they were full five hundred strong.
They opened fire and soon they drove that pirate ship away
Oh I'd rather have gone on a pirate ship than gone to Botany Bay.

Where day and night the irons clang and like poor galley slaves
We toil and toil and when we die we fill dishonoured graves.
But by and by I'll break my chains and into the bush I'll go;
And I'll join the brave bushrangers there, Jack Donahue and Co.

And one dark night when everything is silent in the town
I'll kill the tyrants one by one and I'll shoot the floggers down.
I'll give the law one little shock; remember what I say:
Oh they'll yet regret they've sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay.

Glossary

iron gang

chaingang, band of convicts who work while wearing fetters

Acknowledgements

Transcribed from the singing of Martin Carthy by Garry Gillard.