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xenithAlso found on a USB stick, a copy of a page from the Library of Congress American Memory site, part of "Voices from the Dust Bowl: The Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection, 1940-1941"
Yes, I did say Australian folk songs. This is the page, also lyrics and a recording. "Bold Jack Donohue" is a song of a convict turned bushranger in NSW in the 1830s. (ADB entry for John Donohoe.) What I find interesting about the song, other than that I don't have recording I like, is how it changed over time, and it's relationship to the better known "Wild Colonial Boy".
Lyrics
I'd post the lyrics here but that brings up the question of which version to post. The most common version, collected in Banjo Paterson's Bush Songs book and also in the Penguin Book of Australian Ballads (ed. Russel Ward) starts off with
In Dublin Town I was brought up in that city of great fame
My decent friends and parents will tell to you the same
It was for the sake of five hundred pounds I was sent across the main
For seven long years in New South Wales to wear the convict's chain.
Chorus
So come along my hearties, we'll roam the mountains high;
Together we will plunder, and together we will die.
We'll wander o'er the valleys and gallop o'er the plains
We'll scorn to live in slavery, bound down in iron chains.
I'd scarcely been twelve months or more upon the Australian shore
When I took to the highway as I'd oft-times done before
There was me and Jackie Underwood and Weber and Walmsley too
They were the true associates of Bold Jack Donahue.
The rest of the lyrics are here.
Whereas Old Bush Songs (ed Douglas Stewart & Nancy Keesing) has a version that starts,
'Twas of a valiant highwayman and outlaw of disdain
Who'd scorn to live in slavery or wear a convicts chain;
His name it was Jack Donahoe of courage and renown -
He'd scorn to live in slavery or humble to the Crown.
which they say comes from Paterson's Bush Songs. They also offer another a second variation that was recorded in 1954 that starts:
If you'll but listen, a sorrowful tale I'll tell,
Concerning a young hero, in action lately fell,
His name it was Jack Donahoe, of courage and renown,
He'd scorn to live in slavery or be humbled to the crown.
Rest of the lyrics. (That link has a copy of the Sydney Gazette's report of Donohoe's death.)
(Now compare the above to the opening lines of the "Streets of Forbes"
Come all you Lachlan men and a sorrowful tale I'll tell
Concerning of a hero bold who through misfortune fell
His name it was Ben Hall a man of good renown
Who was hunted from his station and like a dog shot down)
The American version has quite different lyrics again. The basic story is the same in each, although the Irish flavour is stronger in some, and the degree of anti-authoritiveness varies too. Also the tune. One of those links, or maybe another page, claims 16 different tunes have been collected for it. Understandable that there are variations, as a convict protest song, possibly banned, passed on by oral tradition and probably altering a bitwith every one that sung it.
Wild Colonial Boy
But to the "Wild Colonial Boy" now, which was one of the song we learnt in school and is often found on the Irish favourites CDs. There are variations of this, of course, but not as much. I'll include the one from Stewart & Keesing's book, originally from Paterson's Bush Song, because it's closest to the one I know (If you take out the chorus, verses 3 & 4, and change the last line of verse 2 to "A terror to the rich man was... it is the same, except for some minor word differences.).
'Tis of a wild Colonial Boy, Jack Doolan was his name
Of poor but honest parents he was born in Castlemaine.
He was his father's favourite and his mother's only joy
And dearly did his parents love the wild Colonial Boy
Chorus
Come, all my hearties, we'll roam the mountain side
Together we will plunder, together we will ride
We'll wander over valleys, and gallop over the plains
And we'll scorn to die in slavery, bound down by iron chains
He was scarcely sixteen years of age when he left his father's home
And through Australia's sunny climes the bushranger did roam
He robbed those wealthy squatters and their stocks he did destroy
And a terror to Australia was the wild Colonial boy.
In sixty-one this daring youth commenced his wild career,
With a heart that knew no danger, no foeman did he fear.
He stuck up the Beechworth mail-coach, and robbed Judge MacEvoy.
Who trembled and gave up his gold to the wild Colonial boy.
He bade the judge "Good morning", and told him to beware,
That he'd never rob a hearty chap that acted on the square.
And never to rob a mother of her son and only joy,
Or else you may turn outlaw, like the wild Colonial boy.
One day as he was riding the mountain-side along,
A-listening to the little birds their pleasant laughing song
Three mounted troopers ride along--Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy--
They thought that they would capture him, the wild Colonial Boy
"Surrender now, Jack Doolan ,you see there's three to one
Surrender now, Jack Doolan, you daring highwayman."
He drew a pistol from his belt, and shook the little toy
"I'll fight but not surrender" said the wild Colonial boy
He fired at Trooper Kelly and brought him to the ground,
And in return from Davis received a mortal wound
All shattered through the jaws he lay still firing at FitzRoy,
And that's the way they capture him--the wild Colonial boy.
Or a recording, if you want to hear it.
Note the chorus*. Now unlike Donohoe, Jack Doolan (or Duggan, or Dowling) was not a real person. (Although this article is interesting And it is generally accepted** that the Jack D referred to is actually Donohoe. It's a later song, and as with above, there are often references to the 1860s. But there are similarities between the wording in the songs, not to mention the basic story.
One version I have, in Ward's Penguin book, goes a bit beyond just similarities. I don't want to type the whole thing and I can't find a coy of it online, so I'll just do the final two verses:
Then one day when he was cruising near the broad Nepean's side,
From out the thick Bringelly bush the horse police did ride.
"Die or resign, Jack Donahoe!" they shouted in their joy,
"I fight this night with all my might," cried the Wild Colonial Boy.
He fought six rounds with the horse police before the fatal ball,
Which pierced his heart with cruel smarth caused Donahoe to fall,
And then his closed his mournful eyes, his pistol an empty toy.
Crying: "Parents dear, O say a prayer for the Wild Colonial Boy."
Compare with these last two verses.
There are also the following lines which appear in most versions (except mine :)....
They put him in the iron gang in the government employ,
But never an iron on earth could hold the Wild Colonial Boy.
Which make more sense in an 1830s context than an 1860s context. So the argument is, that WC is a later version of BJD. However, there are counter arguments that they're just two smiliar songs drawing from the same sources. Or WC draws from various sources, one of which happens to be BJD (re: article on James Doolan). Or all of the above.
Whatever their relationship, I find it interesting the Bold Jack survived by being taken to the US by migrant workers, and the Wild Colonial Boy was taking to Ireland.
One more tidbit, because you're not allowed to talk about bushrangers without mentioning our favourite horse thief. "Wild Colonial Boy" was sung just before the siege Glenrowan, by the young son of the hotel's landlord, who was shot later that night. But some would have it that it was actually "Bold Jack Donohue", with its more pro-Irish lyrics, that was sung.
*and which I used in my evil WIP but that's another story
**I feel I need to do a footnote for that
Yes, I did say Australian folk songs. This is the page, also lyrics and a recording. "Bold Jack Donohue" is a song of a convict turned bushranger in NSW in the 1830s. (ADB entry for John Donohoe.) What I find interesting about the song, other than that I don't have recording I like, is how it changed over time, and it's relationship to the better known "Wild Colonial Boy".
Lyrics
I'd post the lyrics here but that brings up the question of which version to post. The most common version, collected in Banjo Paterson's Bush Songs book and also in the Penguin Book of Australian Ballads (ed. Russel Ward) starts off with
In Dublin Town I was brought up in that city of great fame
My decent friends and parents will tell to you the same
It was for the sake of five hundred pounds I was sent across the main
For seven long years in New South Wales to wear the convict's chain.
Chorus
So come along my hearties, we'll roam the mountains high;
Together we will plunder, and together we will die.
We'll wander o'er the valleys and gallop o'er the plains
We'll scorn to live in slavery, bound down in iron chains.
I'd scarcely been twelve months or more upon the Australian shore
When I took to the highway as I'd oft-times done before
There was me and Jackie Underwood and Weber and Walmsley too
They were the true associates of Bold Jack Donahue.
The rest of the lyrics are here.
Whereas Old Bush Songs (ed Douglas Stewart & Nancy Keesing) has a version that starts,
'Twas of a valiant highwayman and outlaw of disdain
Who'd scorn to live in slavery or wear a convicts chain;
His name it was Jack Donahoe of courage and renown -
He'd scorn to live in slavery or humble to the Crown.
which they say comes from Paterson's Bush Songs. They also offer another a second variation that was recorded in 1954 that starts:
If you'll but listen, a sorrowful tale I'll tell,
Concerning a young hero, in action lately fell,
His name it was Jack Donahoe, of courage and renown,
He'd scorn to live in slavery or be humbled to the crown.
Rest of the lyrics. (That link has a copy of the Sydney Gazette's report of Donohoe's death.)
(Now compare the above to the opening lines of the "Streets of Forbes"
Come all you Lachlan men and a sorrowful tale I'll tell
Concerning of a hero bold who through misfortune fell
His name it was Ben Hall a man of good renown
Who was hunted from his station and like a dog shot down)
The American version has quite different lyrics again. The basic story is the same in each, although the Irish flavour is stronger in some, and the degree of anti-authoritiveness varies too. Also the tune. One of those links, or maybe another page, claims 16 different tunes have been collected for it. Understandable that there are variations, as a convict protest song, possibly banned, passed on by oral tradition and probably altering a bitwith every one that sung it.
Wild Colonial Boy
But to the "Wild Colonial Boy" now, which was one of the song we learnt in school and is often found on the Irish favourites CDs. There are variations of this, of course, but not as much. I'll include the one from Stewart & Keesing's book, originally from Paterson's Bush Song, because it's closest to the one I know (If you take out the chorus, verses 3 & 4, and change the last line of verse 2 to "A terror to the rich man was... it is the same, except for some minor word differences.).
'Tis of a wild Colonial Boy, Jack Doolan was his name
Of poor but honest parents he was born in Castlemaine.
He was his father's favourite and his mother's only joy
And dearly did his parents love the wild Colonial Boy
Chorus
Come, all my hearties, we'll roam the mountain side
Together we will plunder, together we will ride
We'll wander over valleys, and gallop over the plains
And we'll scorn to die in slavery, bound down by iron chains
He was scarcely sixteen years of age when he left his father's home
And through Australia's sunny climes the bushranger did roam
He robbed those wealthy squatters and their stocks he did destroy
And a terror to Australia was the wild Colonial boy.
In sixty-one this daring youth commenced his wild career,
With a heart that knew no danger, no foeman did he fear.
He stuck up the Beechworth mail-coach, and robbed Judge MacEvoy.
Who trembled and gave up his gold to the wild Colonial boy.
He bade the judge "Good morning", and told him to beware,
That he'd never rob a hearty chap that acted on the square.
And never to rob a mother of her son and only joy,
Or else you may turn outlaw, like the wild Colonial boy.
One day as he was riding the mountain-side along,
A-listening to the little birds their pleasant laughing song
Three mounted troopers ride along--Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy--
They thought that they would capture him, the wild Colonial Boy
"Surrender now, Jack Doolan ,you see there's three to one
Surrender now, Jack Doolan, you daring highwayman."
He drew a pistol from his belt, and shook the little toy
"I'll fight but not surrender" said the wild Colonial boy
He fired at Trooper Kelly and brought him to the ground,
And in return from Davis received a mortal wound
All shattered through the jaws he lay still firing at FitzRoy,
And that's the way they capture him--the wild Colonial boy.
Or a recording, if you want to hear it.
Note the chorus*. Now unlike Donohoe, Jack Doolan (or Duggan, or Dowling) was not a real person. (Although this article is interesting And it is generally accepted** that the Jack D referred to is actually Donohoe. It's a later song, and as with above, there are often references to the 1860s. But there are similarities between the wording in the songs, not to mention the basic story.
One version I have, in Ward's Penguin book, goes a bit beyond just similarities. I don't want to type the whole thing and I can't find a coy of it online, so I'll just do the final two verses:
Then one day when he was cruising near the broad Nepean's side,
From out the thick Bringelly bush the horse police did ride.
"Die or resign, Jack Donahoe!" they shouted in their joy,
"I fight this night with all my might," cried the Wild Colonial Boy.
He fought six rounds with the horse police before the fatal ball,
Which pierced his heart with cruel smarth caused Donahoe to fall,
And then his closed his mournful eyes, his pistol an empty toy.
Crying: "Parents dear, O say a prayer for the Wild Colonial Boy."
Compare with these last two verses.
There are also the following lines which appear in most versions (except mine :)....
They put him in the iron gang in the government employ,
But never an iron on earth could hold the Wild Colonial Boy.
Which make more sense in an 1830s context than an 1860s context. So the argument is, that WC is a later version of BJD. However, there are counter arguments that they're just two smiliar songs drawing from the same sources. Or WC draws from various sources, one of which happens to be BJD (re: article on James Doolan). Or all of the above.
Whatever their relationship, I find it interesting the Bold Jack survived by being taken to the US by migrant workers, and the Wild Colonial Boy was taking to Ireland.
One more tidbit, because you're not allowed to talk about bushrangers without mentioning our favourite horse thief. "Wild Colonial Boy" was sung just before the siege Glenrowan, by the young son of the hotel's landlord, who was shot later that night. But some would have it that it was actually "Bold Jack Donohue", with its more pro-Irish lyrics, that was sung.
*and which I used in my evil WIP but that's another story
**I feel I need to do a footnote for that
