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The Wild Colonial Boy

Mick Jagger
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OriginalVersione dei Fotheringaydalla BBC Session del 1970.
THE WILD COLONIAL BOYBOLD JACK DONOHUE
Come, all my hearties,
we'll roam the mountains high,
Together we will plunder,
together we will ride.
We'll scar over valleys,
and gallop for the plains,
And scorn to live in
slavery, bound down by iron chains.
Come all you sons of liberty and everyone besides,
I'll sing to you a story that will fill you with surprise.
Concerning of a bold bushranger, Jack Donahue was his name
And he scorned to humble to the crown, bound down with iron chain.
It's of a wild Colonial Boy,
Jack Doolan was his name,
Of poor but honest parents,
he was born in Castlemaine.
He was his father's only son,
his mother's pride and joy,
And so dearly did his parents love
the wild Colonial Boy.
Now Donahue was taken all for a notorious crime
And sentenced to be hanged upon the gallows tree so high.
But when they took him to Bathurst Gaol, he left them in a stew,
For when they came to call the roll, they missed Jack Donahue.
When scarcley sixteen years of age
he left his father's home,
And through Australia's sunny shores
a bushranger did roam.
He'd rob the largest squatters,
their stock he would destroy,
a terror to Australia was
the wild Colonial Boy.
Now when Donahue made his escape, to the bush he went straight way.
The squatters they were all afraid to travel by night and by day
And every day in the newspapers, they brought out something new,
Concerning that bold bushranger that they called Jack Donahue.
In sixty-one this daring youth
commenced his wild career,
With a heart that knew no danger,
no stranger would did he fear.
He bailed up the Beechworth roll mail-coach,
and robbed Judge MacEvoy,
Who trembled and gave up his gold to
the wild Colonial Boy.
Now one day as he was riding the mountainside alone,
Not thinking that the pains of death would overtake him soon.
When all he spied the horse police, well on they came up into view
And in double quick time they did advance to take Jack Donahue.
He bade the judge "Good morning",
and told him to beware,
That he'd never rob a poor man
who wafted on the square,
Three mounted troopers came in sight
Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy,
who thought that they would capture him,
the wild Colonial Boy.
“Oh Donahue, Donahue, throw down your carbine.
Or do you intend to fight us all and will you not resign?”
“To surrender to such cowardly dogs is a thing that I never would do,
For this day I'll fight with all of me might”, cried Bold Jack Donahue.
"Surrender now, Jack Doolan,
you see were three to one".
Surrender in the queens name
you daring highwayman,"
Jack drew two pistols from his belt,
and waved them proud and free
"I'll fight, but not surrender,"
cried the wild Colonial Boy.
Now the sergeant and the corporal, their men they did divide,
Some fired at him from behind and some from every side.
The sergeant and the corporal, they both fired at him too
And a rifle bullet pierced the heart of Bold Jack Donahue.
He fired at Trooper Kelly
and brought him to the ground,
And in return from Davis
received a mortal wound.
All shattered through the jaws he lay
still firing at Fitzroy,
And that's the way they captured him-
the wild Colonial Boy.
Now nine rounds he fired and nine men down before that fatal ball
That pierced his heart and made him smart and caused him for to fall.
And as he closed his mournful eyes, he bid the world adieu,
Saying, “Convicts all, pray for the soul of Bold Jack Donahue.”


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