Bound For Australia

Traditional



1. I'm leaving old England, the land that I love
And I'm bound for across the sea;
Oh, I'm bound for Australia, the land of the free
Where there'll be a welcome for me.

CHORUS:
So fill up yer glasses an' drink what ye please,
For whatever's the damage I'll pay,
So be aisy an' free, whilst yer drinkin' wid me,
Sure I'm a man yiz don't meet every day!

2. When I board me ship for the south'ard to go,
She'll be looking so trim and so fine,
And I'll land me aboard, wid me bags and me stores,
From the dockside they'll cast off each line.

3. To Land's End we'll tow, wid our boys aIl so tight,
Wave a hearty goodbye to the shore,
An' we'll drink the last drop to our country's green land,
An' the next day we'll curse [nurse] our heads sore.

4. We'll then drop the tugs and sheet tops'Is home taut,
An' the hands will crowd sail upon sail,
Wid a sou'wester strong, boys, we'll just tack along,
By the morn many jibs will turn pale.

5. We'll beat past the Ushant and then down the Bay,
Where the west wind it bIows fine an' strong,
We'll soon git the Trades an' we should make good time,
To the south'ard then we'll roll along.

6. Round the Cape we will roll, take our flyin' kites in,
For the Forties will sure roar their best,
An' then run our Eastin' wid yards all set square,
Wid the wind roaring out of the west.

7. We'll then pass Cape Looin all shipshape an' trim,
Then head up for Adelaide Port,
Off Semaphore Roads we will there drop our hook,
An' ashore, boys, we'll head for some sport.

8. When I've worked in Australia for twenty long years,
One day will I head homeward bound,
Wid a nice little fortune tucked under me wing,
By a steamship I'll travel I'm bound!

9. So 'tis goodbye to Sally an' goodbye to Sue
When I'm leavin' Australia so free,
Where the gals are so kind, but the one left behind
Is the one that will one day splice me!


From Stan Hugill's 1979 collection, Shanties From The Seven Seas: shipboard work songs and songs used as work songs from the great days of sail