Van Dieman's Land Lyrics

Come all ye gallant poachers, that ramble without care

Take a walk in the moonlight, dog, gun and your snare

The hare and the pheasant at your command

Not thinking you'll end up on Van Dieman's land

Tom Brown from Nottingham, Jack Williams and poor Joe

Were three daring poachers the country did know

One night they were trepanned by the keeper's hideous hand

Fourteen years transported to Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, on the Atlantic we're trapped and bound

A cruel fate awaits us on Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, round Cape Horn through the Indian Sound

Think of us there, hard working, Van Dieman's land

When we sailed from England and landed in the bay

We had rotten straw for bedding but we dare not say

They fenced us in with fire and we slumber when we can

Drive away the wolves and tigers from Van Dieman's land

And when we arrived on that fatal shore

The planters came around us, twenty score or more

They ranked us up like horses and sold us out of hand

Then yoked us to the plough

To plough Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, on the Atlantic we're trapped and bound

A cruel fate awaits us on Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, round Cape Horn through the Indian Sound

Think of us there, hard working, Van Dieman's land

Often when I slumber

I have a pleasant dream

With my sweetheart I'm sitting by some pearling stream

Roaming around England

With her at my command

Awaken broken hearted on Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, on the Atlantic we're trapped and bound

A cruel fate awaits us on Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, round Cape Horn through the Indian sound Thinking of us there hard working Van Dieman's land

And it's down, and it's down, on the Atlantic we're trapped and bound

A cruel fate awaits us on Van Dieman's Land

And it's down, and it's down, round Cape Horn through the Indian Sound

Think of us hard working Van Dieman's Land