Botany Bay

from among the flowers by Janette Geri

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about

I heard this song as a child in primary school, thought it insufferable. But for some reason it came back to my mind from a different angle. At the time of recording there was, and still is, so much media about refugees, asylum seekers, displaced people. It’s a tragedy. I was also doing some research on my family tree, and I began to really think about how my ancestors must have felt to leave their homelands and make such an epic journey to Australia. Some from Ireland, some from England, some from Scotland, they came here out of famine, out of despicable highland clearances, out of poverty or prison sentence, all trying to survive and certainly hoping for a better life. So Botany Bay took on a new meaning. If you left your own lands you knew you would never see loved ones, home, friends, ever again, or the chances were so slim it didn’t matter. Think about it….

lyrics

Farewell to my home land forever
Farewell to my sweetheart as well
farewell to my friend and my family
I need you like no words can tell

Too ra ly too ra ly allity
Too ra ly too ra ly ay
Too ra ly too ra ly allity
I’m bound for Botany Bay

For seven long years I’m transported
Seven long years and a day
I know that I’ll never return love
I know that its there I will stay

CHORUS

If I had the wings of a turtle dove
I'd soar on my pinions and fly
straight to the arms of my only love
And on his sweet breast I would lie

credits

from among the flowers, released June 23, 2018

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Janette Geri VIC, Australia

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