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Jim Jones in Botany Bay Lyrics by Martin Carthy

Signs of Life

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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
Credits
Martin Carthy

Martin Carthy

About “Jim Jones in Botany Bay” by Martin Carthy

Read the complete lyrics to "Jim Jones in Botany Bay" by Martin Carthy from the album "Signs of Life". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country, Folk.

"Jim Jones in Botany Bay" is performed by Martin Carthy. from the album "Signs of Life" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Jim Jones in Botany Bay", explore more songs by Martin Carthy using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Jim Jones in Botany Bay" is credited to Martin Carthy. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Jim Jones in Botany Bay" appears on "Signs of Life".

Visit the Martin Carthy artist page at /artist/martin-carthy for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.