Ten Thousand Miles Away

ho! for a brave an' a gallant ship,

An' a fast an' fav'rin' breeze,

With a bully crew an' a captain too

To carry me o'er the seas;

To carry me o'er the seas, me boys,

To me true love far away,

For I'm takin' a trip on a Government ship

Ten thousand miles away.

Chorus:

Then blow, ye winds hi ho!

An' a-rovin' I will go.

I'll stay no more on England's shore

To hear the music play

I'm off on the bounding main, and I won't be back again

For I'm on the move to me own true love

Ten thousand miles away.

My true love she was beautiful,

My true love was young,

But she's taken a trip on a Government ship

Bound out to Botany Bay,

Bound out to Botany Bay, m'boys,

An' though she's far away,

I'll never forget me own true love,

Ten thousand miles away!

It was a summer's mornin',

When I last had seen me Meg

She'd a Government band around each hand

An' another one round her leg

Oh, another one round her leg, m'boys

As the big ship left the bay,

"Adieu," said she, "remember me,

Ten thousand miles away!"

I wish I was a boatswain bold

Or a sailor without fear

I'd man a boat and away I'd float

An' straight to me true love steer;

An' straight to me true love steer, m'boys

Where the whales an' dolphin play,

Where the whales an' sharks are havin' their larks

Ten thousand miles away.

Oh, the sun may shine through the London fog

Or the river run quite clear,

Or the ocean brine turn into wine

Or I forget my beer

Or I forget my beer, m'boys

Or the landlord's quarter-pay

But I'll never forget me own true love

Ten thousand miles away.