The Shores of Botany Bay
Encyclopedia
"The Shores of Botany Bay", also known as "Botany Bay", is a traditional
Irish
song. The song's narrator is a bricklayer
who emigrates from Ireland
to Australia
after being fired from his job on a ship.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
song. The song's narrator is a bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
who emigrates from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
after being fired from his job on a ship.
Recordings
"The Shores of Botany Bay" has been recorded many times by a variety of artists, including:- The Irish RoversThe Irish RoversThe Irish Rovers is a Canadian Irish folk group created in 1963 and named after the traditional song "The Irish Rover". The group is best known for their international television series, and renditions of traditional Irish drinking songs, as well as early hits, Shel Silverstein's "The Unicorn",...
on the album Come Fill Up Your Glasses - The Wolfe Tones on the album Irish To the Core
- The Dublin City Ramblers on the album Flight of Earls
- Tommy MakemTommy MakemThomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
and Liam ClancyLiam ClancyWilliam "Liam" Clancy was an Irish folk singer and actor from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest and last surviving member of performing group The Clancy Brothers. The group were regarded as Ireland's first pop stars...
on the album In Concert - Patrick CliffordPatrick CliffordPatrick Clifford is a musician, songwriter, and producer of Irish and folk music, best known as a key member of Four to the Bar--a mainstay of the 1990s New York Irish music scene....
on the album American WakeAmerican Wake (album)American Wake is the first full-length solo album by Patrick Clifford, released in 2010.The title refers to a gathering in an Irish home the night before a family member emigrated to America, in which friends and family would say goodbye to the emigrant for what was probably the last time.The...
External links
- Cantaria - Information about the song, lyrics, and a recording of the song
- The Traditional Ballad Index