Van Diemens Land

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Come all ye gallant poachers that 
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ramble void of care
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That walked out on a moonlight 
              F         G         
night with your dog, your gun, your 
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snare
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The hare and the lofty pheasant, 
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you have at your command
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Not thinking on your last career 
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upon Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 2:]
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Poor Thomas Brown from Nenagh 
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Town, Jack Murphy and poor Joe
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Were three determined poachers, 
      F      G         Am
as the county well does know
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By the keepers of the land, me 
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boys, one night they were trepanned
        Am                  C  D 
And for fourteen years 
    F      G        Am      C D 
transported unto Van Diemen's 
Am Am7 Am
Land


[VERSE 3:]
Continúa después del anuncio
                      F  G    Am 
The first day that we landed upon
            G
 that fatal shore
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The planters came around us there 
F        G      Am
might be twenty score
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They ranked us off like horses and
      Am             G
 they sold us out of hand
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And they yoked us to the plough, 
        D        F          G    
brave boys, to plough Van 
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Diemen's Land


[VERSE 4:]
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The cottages we live in are built
              G
 with sods of clay
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We have rotten straw for bedding,
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 but we dare not say them nay
    C                  G           
Our cots we fence with wire and we 
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slumber when we can
   Am                  C D       
To keep the wolves and tigers 
     F      G        Am      C D
from us in Van Diemen's Land
 Am Am7 Am



[VERSE 5:]
                    F   G      Am
Oft times when I do slumber, I 
              G
have a pleasant dream
        Am                 C      
With my sweetheart sitting near 
D       F    G       Am
me, close by a purling stream
     C                   G     
I am roaming through old Ireland 
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with my true love by the hand
     Am            C   D     F  
But awaken, broken hearted, upon
     G        Am
 Van Diemen's Land


[VERSE 6:]
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Oh, if I had a thousand pounds, 
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all laid out in my hand
    Am              C      D    
I'd give it all for liberty, if 
F      G        Am
that I could command
 C               G                
Again to Ireland I'd return and 
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I'd be a happy man
        Am              C  D     
And I'd bid farewell to poaching 
    F      G        Am      C D 
and to Van Diemen's Land
Am Am7 Am