Nemesis of Decay, Pg 10A
“Jim Jones at Botany Bay” is a traditional Australian folk ballad written as early as 1907. Here’s one version of the lyrics (taken from Wikipedia):
Come gather round and listen lads, and hear me tell m’ tale,
How across the sea from England I was condemned to sail.
The jury found me guilty, and then says the judge, says he,
Oh for life, Jim Jones, I’m sending you across the stormy sea.
But take a tip before you ship to join the iron gang,
Don’t get too gay in Botany Bay, or else you’ll surely hang.
Or else you’ll surely hang, he says, and after that, Jim Jones,
Way up high upon yon gallows tree, the crows will pick your bones.
Our ship was high upon the seas when pirates came along,
But the soldiers on our convict ship were full five hundred strong;
They opened fire and so they drove that pirate ship away
But I’d rather joined that pirate ship than gone to Botany Bay.
With the storms a-raging round us, and the winds a-blowing gales
I’d rather drowned in misery than gone to New South Wales.
There’s no time for mischief there, remember that, they say
Oh they’ll flog the poaching out of you down there in Botany Bay.
Day and night in irons clad we like poor galley slaves
Will toil and toil our lives away to fill dishonored graves;
But by and by I’ll slip m’ chains and to the bush I’ll go
And I’ll join the brave bushrangers there, Jack Donahue and Co.
And some dark night when all is right and quiet in the town,
I’ll get the bastards one and all, I’ll gun the floggers down.
I’ll give them all a little treat, remember what I say
And they’ll yet regret they sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay.
WOW!!!! I recently picked this comic back up from where I left off in 2008. Still very impressed with the amount of philosophy, thought, and wickedly cool art that goes into its making. Always vote and vote proud #1.
Ahh. I guessed wrong… though you did give us the clue earlier w/ the harmonica and who it was borrowed from. Interesting… a way to reach past the Lady to reach Jen? Or does that song speak to the Lady’s sense of exile…?
You know, I’m reminded of something MC Vlad did once…
http://www.twilightlady.com/2008/05/08/the-realm-in-the-middle-pg-41-42/
Wow! I knew Jen was a blues-lady, but I never thought that the Lady would love the Blues! Eager to learn why…
Ha! Told ya!
The priest!
Well, Music doth hath charms which soothes…..etc. etc. 😉
Guess Dr. Eden doesn’t think he’s an “idiot” anymore.
The Ballard of Jim Jones? You do have some awesome touches!
Actually, the song is known as “Jim Jones” or “Jim Jones at Botany Bay”. It’s never been called “The Ballad of Jim Jones”, as far as I know.
I’ve read up to here, so far, since Saturday (beteen running around and working – I’m a self employed mother of 4), and just wanted to say this is the first time I’ve heard that ballad.
I’m a Sydney sider, y’see, and lived in a country town for a few (7) years, but had never heard it before.
Great strip, btw 🙂
I’m reading it religiously up until the point where I can RSS the regular updates 🙂
@uhl (albeit several months too late) considering what the good Father Nader just did is the equivalent of a small-scale version of what she *wanted* to do? She’s probably impressed, but has only had her own point proven even more.