Chain Around The Ankle
John Williamson


I'd recommend strum two beats and mute two beats


       C              C                F                     C
In the finest habour in the world in a cove there're calling sydney
    c               C                   G
The captain Gov'ner Phillips trimed his sails
     C                C             F           C
With shelter from the winds and the big pacific ocean
   C         G         C           C
We landed in New South Wales



And you should see the parrots , all coloured in like rainbows
With wallabys and screaching cockatoos
And a bird the won't stop laughing when he sees me cop'n a flogging 
He wouldn't be laughing if he was in me shoes


   F                F                C                C
Ya bet ya drum , ya drink ya rum and threat'n me with hanging
     F                F                C                 C
it's difficult with a chain around the ankle
    F            F                    C                   C         
but given half a chance i'd break and dissappear into the grey gums
    C                    G              C               C
and learn to live like a native in this land



and the native blacks are friendly altough a bit suspicious
of anyone with a red coat or a gun
and if i could learn their lingo and listen to the dreamtime
the bush ,me and the animals could be one


(to the tune of chorus)
and the convict mates all hate the place ,they long for mother england
but what in the hell has she got i declare 
the chimney are a smoking , there smelly and there choking
and the dukes own every bunny rabbit there



and the irish girl i lay with in the middle of the ocean 
she said she's willing and keen to marry me
but working like a dog and treated like a donkey 
given ten year or so i might be free


ya beat ya drum .....


Tabbed by jamin
jamtin010@yahoo.com