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.