Now come all you young fellas where ere you may be
Come listen awhile and I'll tell you
For it's many the young man myself I have seen
More fitted to serve than to die on the string
But those hard hearted judges how cruel they have been
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia.
Now when I was in service in fair London town
I worked long and hard for my master
Till those pretty young ladies they led me astray
And my work I neglected for sport and for play
And for to maintain it robbed on the highway
And for that I was sent to Virginia
And for that I was sent to Virginia.
Now when we got to Virginia, that cold shameful place
Which now I recall in my story
Our captain he stood with a whip and a cane
And he bargained for us, to be sold out of hand
Like horses they yoked us that ploughed the salt main
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia.
Now when I robbed on the highway well I lived at my ease
I laid down me head on soft feathers
With a glass in me hand and a lass on me knee
No robber in England lived better than me
Now me bed's the cold ground, far across the salt sea
And how is my fate in Virginia
And how is my fate in Virginia.
Oh England, oh England, I fear I'll not see more
If I do it's ten thousand to twenty
For me fingers and rotting and me back it is sore
And I wander around right down at death's door
But if I could just live to see seven years more
Well I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia
Yes I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia.
Come listen awhile and I'll tell you
For it's many the young man myself I have seen
More fitted to serve than to die on the string
But those hard hearted judges how cruel they have been
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia
For they've sent us poor lads to Virginia.
Now when I was in service in fair London town
I worked long and hard for my master
Till those pretty young ladies they led me astray
And my work I neglected for sport and for play
And for to maintain it robbed on the highway
And for that I was sent to Virginia
And for that I was sent to Virginia.
Now when we got to Virginia, that cold shameful place
Which now I recall in my story
Our captain he stood with a whip and a cane
And he bargained for us, to be sold out of hand
Like horses they yoked us that ploughed the salt main
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia
And they sold us for slaves in Virginia.
Now when I robbed on the highway well I lived at my ease
I laid down me head on soft feathers
With a glass in me hand and a lass on me knee
No robber in England lived better than me
Now me bed's the cold ground, far across the salt sea
And how is my fate in Virginia
And how is my fate in Virginia.
Oh England, oh England, I fear I'll not see more
If I do it's ten thousand to twenty
For me fingers and rotting and me back it is sore
And I wander around right down at death's door
But if I could just live to see seven years more
Well I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia
Yes I'd soon bid farewell to Virginia.
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