Lyrics

My name it is Sam Jenkins I come from old Whittington Hill My people bow their heads down To the lord of the manor still I grew up mean and hungry Dirty and poor and sick I tried my for not to steal To afraid of the VAn Diemon ships Well, the only road to money It was the road to the army gates I took that road in '45 With a gang of my Staffordshire mates We were shipped across to Ireland Some rebellions for to quell Stationed north of Galway In a landscape that mirrored hell When we sailed into Galway Before my hair got dry I will never forget the skeletons With a crazed look in their eyes And their little children wailing As hunger ate them alive When I realized what I was doing there With the shame I nearly died The food removal regiments We were there to guard the food Being shipped each day to England While the starving they were subdued They said we needed the food more For our hungry boys abroad And the Irish apes who farmed it They weren't men in the eyes of the Lord My dear friend Billy Cooper He couldn't console himself From a cherry tree in the backfield He was hanging by his belt In the 41st foot regiment Just north of Galway town I felt myself the servant Of a devil in a crown I disobeyed an order I refused to shoot a man Now stripped of my gun and uniform I am bound for Van Diemons land You rogues who rule Britannia May you burn in hell for good Us poor we do your dirty work Then you dine on our flesh and blood All the lies, all of our lives All the pain, abuse and shame Tell the truth to the youth And forgive, but never forget Forgive, but never forget All the lies, all of our lives All the pain, tears like rain Tell the truth to the youth And forgive, but never forget Forgive, but never forget