by Robert Hillman and Hannah Pelka-Caven (The Raglins)

A re-telling of the traditional ballad ‘Henry’s Downfall,’ which is a variant of the well-known transportation ballad ‘Van Diemen’s Land’. We found ‘Henry’s Downfall’ in the prominent Australian folk collector Ron Edwards’ The Big Book of Australian Folk Song. We took the story from the song but wrote new lyrics and a new melody.

Composed in 2018.

Lyrics

Intro

Bm7         Aadd(4)        D/F#       G         (x2)

Bm7         A/C#              D            G            D/F#         G

Verse 1

My parents raised me tenderly, good loving gave to me 

But questionable company, it claimed my destiny 

In the summer I would wander, in the winter I would roam

The woods across the river became a second home 

Chorus 

Young men and young women 

Take heed and be aware 

Don’t let your choice of company 

Lead you to despair 

Verse 2 (same chords as V1)

My friends and I rode out one night into the Royal park 

In expectation of good game, we set out in the dark  

In hesitation we did stray and out then we heard the shots 

They caught us out and sent us down in prison cells to rot 

Verse 3 (same chords as V1)

No bail were we granted, in court we did appear 

We sat there waiting nervously our sentences to hear 

These friends of mine had history, which made the case go raw 

My sentence was for fourteen years, and I was sent on board 

Chorus (same chords as chorus)

Young men and young women 

Take heed and be aware 

Don’t let your choice of company 

Lead you to despair 

Bridge

The ship that took me from my home, the Speedwell was her name 

For full 5 months and upwards there, we ploughed the roaring main

No land or harbor could we see – no matter how we tried  

All around us was deep water, and above us only sky  

Chorus  (x 2)  (same chords as chorus)

Young men and young women 

Take heed and be aware 

Don’t let your choice of company 

Lead you to despair 

Verse 4 (same chords as V1)

Each night another memory of all I left behind

Friends that I will never see, the words I’ll never find 

The face made by my father when my fortune was made plain 

The tears upon my mother’s face, I’ll never shake that pain 

Verse 5 (same chords as V1)

On the fifteenth of September, we arrived and soon made land 

At four o’clock we went on shore all chained from hand to hand

The darkest days I’ve ever seen were at the royal call

I never thought I’d live to see such decent people fall 

Chorus  (x 2)  (same chords as chorus)

Young men and young women 

Take heed and be aware 

Don’t let your choice of company 

Lead you to despair