Christy Moore - Van Diemen's Land lyrics

Me and three more went out one night into Squire Noble's park We were hoping we might catch some game the night been proven dark It being out sad misfortune they captured us with speed And brought us down to Warwick Gaol did cause our hearts to bleed Young men all be aware lest you be drawn into a snare Young men all be aware lest you be drawn into a snare It was about the fifth of March me boys at the court we did appear Like Job we stood with patience our sentence to hear Without jury bail nor witness our case it did go hard Our sentence was for fourteen years straight away being sent on board The ship that bore us from the land the Speedwell was her name For full five months and upwards we ploughed the raging main We saw no land nor harbour I tell you its no lie All around us one black ocean, above us one blue sky About the fifth of August tis then we made the land At five o'clock next morning they tied us hand to hand To see our fellow sufferance filled my heart with woe For there's some chained to the harrow and the others to the plough To see our fellow sufferance it filled me with despair For they'd leather smocks and lindsey shorts and their feet and hands were bare They tied them up two by two like horses in a dray And the driver he stood over them with his Malacca cane There was a female prisoner, Rosanna was her name For sixteen years a convict from Wolverhampton came She often told her tale of love when she was young at home But now it's rattling of the chains in a foreign land to roam Come all of you young poaching lads and a warning take from me Mark you well the story that I tell and guard your destiny Its all about transported lads as you may understand And the hardships we did undergo going to Van Dieman's Land