Key: C major
Verse 1
Eb
Come and listen for a moment, lads
Cm
Eb
Ab
And hear me tell my tale
Eb
Bb
How across the sea from England
Ab
Bb
I was condemned to sail
Eb
Now the jury found me guilty
Cm
Eb
Ab
Then says the judge, says he
Eb
"Oh, for life, Jim Jones,
Bb
I'm sending you
Ab
Eb
Ebsus4
Eb
Across the stormy sea
Ab
But take a tip before you ship
Eb
To join the iron gang
Ab
Don't get too gay in Botany Bay
Eb
Bb
Or else you'll surely hang
Eb
Or else you'll surely hang," says he
Ab
"And after that, Jim Jones
Eb
Bb
It's high above on the gallows tree
Ab
The crows will pick your bones"
Interlude 1
Eb
Ab
Eb
Bb
Verse 2
Eb
And our ship was high upon the sea
Ab
When pirates came along
Eb
Ab
Eb
Bb
But the soldiers on our convict ship
Ab
Bb
Were full five hundred strong
Eb
For they opened fire and somehow drove
Ab
That pirate ship away
Eb
But I'd rather have joined
Bb
that pirate ship
Ab
Bb
Eb
Ebsus4
Eb
Than gone to Botany Bay
Ab
With the storms ragin' round us
Eb
And the winds a-blowin' gale
gale
Ab
I'd rather have drowned in misery
Eb
Bb
Than gone to New South Wales
Eb
There's no time for mischief
there they say
Ab
Remember that, says they
Eb
Or they'll flo g the
Bb
poaching out of you
Ab
Down there in Botany Bay
Interlude 2
Eb
Ab
Bb
Ab
Eb
Bb
Verse 3
Eb
Now it's day and night
and the irons clang
Ab
And like poor galley slaves
Eb
Ebsus4
Eb
Bb
We toil and toil, and when we die
Ab
Bb
Must fill dishonored graves
Eb
And it's by and by I'll slip my chains
Ab
Into the bush I'll go
Eb
Bb
And I'll join the bravest rankers there
Ab
Bb
Eb
Jack Donohue and co
Ab
And some dark night, when everything
Eb
Is silent in the town
Ab
I'll shoot those tyrants one and all
Eb
Bb
I'll gun the floggers down
Eb
Oh, I'll give the land a little shock
Ab
Remember what I say
Eb
And they'll yet regret
Bb
they've sent Jim Jones
Ab
Eb
In chains to Botany Bay
Outro 1
Ab
Eb
Bb
Eb
Ab
Eb
Bb
Ab
Eb
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TunerE A D G B E
ChordsEb Cm Ab Bb Ebsus4
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