Music – Andrew London

 

Credit : Andrew London

A song telling the true story of a convict uprising in the 1840s, with background shots of scenic Norfolk island. Andrew London toured at ‘Norfolk Jazzes it Up’ festival ( December 2016 )

Emily Bay

Johnny was a wild one, got sent down
seven years hard in Sydney Town
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Elizabeth cried on the dock , says he, ‘You’re a good girl, Lizzie, don’t you wait for me’
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Johnny was a thief, he was quicker than some
got caught with a bottle of the captain’s rum
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay

Judge said ‘I can turn a hard man around
you can do your time out in Kingston Town
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Johnny said ‘ well you can cut a chain for me,
but I’ll curse your eyes till the day that I’m free
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Johnny took a hundred till the blood ran black
and the chaplain said ‘That’s a dead man’s back’
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay

Jackie said ‘Now Brother come along with me,
gonna kill me a copper been a worryin’ me
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Johnny said ‘well Jack I been a thinkin’ just the same
and they got three more before the soldiers came
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The Commandant said ‘You’re gonna hang this morn,
and England’s sorry that you ever been born
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay

Johnny was a wild one, got sent down
he never did a year in Kingston Town
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Elizabeth cried on the day she read
He was thrown in a hole, not a prayer was said
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And on the Murderers’ Mound you can hear his plea:
‘You’re a good girl Lizzie don’t you wait for me’
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay
and the blood runs down to the sand on Emily Bay

Copyright © 2015 Andrew London. All rights reserved.

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