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1.
I’ve lived in London for most of my life Too plain and too poor to be any man’s wife Abandoned by mother who died in her bed Carried by father who’s sinking in debt I work 12 hours a day in a frame knitter’s team Two shillings a week for the gloves that I seam Won’t keep me out of the workhouse I’m a stitch and a plea from its door I’m a good girl A quiet girl Who would sail for six months to the end of the world Work for a lady, tend her fine home Marry a stranger, run a house of my own Now the government says there’s a ship that will sail From Gravesend in Spring to New South Wales They’re looking for girls the same age as me If father says go, I’ll be happy to leave I hear the church ladies can raise the 6 pound For the boat trip to Sydney plus a trunk full of gowns On Thursday they’ll answer this supplicant’s prayers Provide a bonnet for winter and a letter that says I’m a good girl A quiet girl Who would sail for six months to the end of the world Work for a lady, tend her fine home Marry a stranger, run a house of my own Each day on the deck, I’d stare out to sea, And dream of the life that is waiting for me An employer’s kind face, a husband’s embrace Good wages, good work. a most fortunate place for A good girl A quiet girl Who would sail for six months to the end of the world Work for a lady, tend her fine home Marry a stranger, run a house of my own
2.
GG: (Committee Member - Spoken): It says here that They found you drunk on sailor’s rum You’d fallen out of bed You were sucking on a sorry thumb Can you defend what’s just been said? Elizabeth Wade: “I've been in several situations Some better than the worst But in my last position This silly lass was seduced By the masters son A spoilt rogue Deserted on the streets I took to drink and ended up In the house of correction for dissolute wenches and fallen young women like me. I spent 7 days hard labour Pickin oakum well apart There's the devil to pay and no pitch out To plug the leaks and caulk this boat No soul left that cares for me My poor mother is dead My father's since remarried I've not seen him since he wed Drink maybe my affliction Poverty my distress But now I ask paid passage In Sydney's direction where dissolute wenches and fallen young women forget. Instrumental. Instrumental over spoken verse Spoken verse: When I met with the committee They asked, “Elizabeth Wade, Do you still drink?” I shook my head and answered, “No!” Then threw me lord a wink. She throws the audience a wink We'll put you in The Refuge To wait upon you berth It is on a ship called Strathfieldsaye An emigrant boat that has promised to float Each fallen young woman away
3.
Father oh father My ticket to leave A list of fine blessings Provisions I’ll need I must have a box Stowed in the hold A bagful of articles I’ll use while aboard Packed in each trunk Two gowns made of stuff Aprons and soap A three quarter length coat Stockings and handkerchiefs Ribbons and braids Father my father I sail in ten days I’ll be bound For New South Wales You’ll be bound to stay Father my father Slipping farther and farther Away Father oh father Can the workhouse assist With a pint metal pot And the clothes on my list? Perhaps the fine ladies Are willing to give 12 yards of calico And some pretty blue print 4 yards of flannel 2 pair of shoes A bonnet, a shawl A knife, spoon and fork A new pewter plate One pair of stays Father my father We still have ten days I'll be bound For New South Wales I’ll be bound to stay Father my father Slipping farther and farther Away I’ll be bound For New South Wales You’ll be bound to stay Father my father Father my father Father my father Slipping farther and farther Away
4.
5.
April 1833 03:20
April 1833 Old England slips away from me Old England slips away away Away from me April 1833 Wind sounds like a mother’s wail Keening through the hoisted sail Mother, Mother keening through The hoisted sail Wind sounds like a mother’s wail Tonight I sleep below the deck An English daughter you’ll forget English daughter sleep tonight You’ll forget Tonight I sleep below the deck My final mark on England’s soil Footprints left on Gravesend’s shore Footprints left on shore on shore On Gravesend’s shore My final mark on England’s soil April 1833 Old England slips away from me Old England slips away, away Away from me April 1833
6.
Oh, The Sea 05:16
O the jolly boat lies on the starboard deck The ship groans against open skies If I could raise my head from this sour bed I would row back to shore this night I would row back to shore this night Row Row Row Row Row Row If I could raise my head from this sour bed I would row back to shore this night I would row back to shore this night Oh our ship sailed out on a listless sea A departure as mild as the breeze But as land slipped away with the lengthening day The ocean swelled to my mouth from my feet The ocean swelled to my mouth from my feet Row Row Row Row Row Row But as land slipped away with the lengthening day The ocean swelled to my mouth from my feet The Ocean swelled to my mouth from my feet If I had been content and refused to go Not to lie in this unhappy stench below With the other poor daughters who can’t hold their waters Oh the sea’s made us sick for our home Oh, the sea’s made us sick for our home Row Row Row Row Row Row With the other poor daughters who can’t hold their waters Oh the sea’s made us sick for our home Oh the sea’s made us sick for our home
7.
Lifeboat 04:53
The dreadful sea was calm that day Still and dark as one man’s heart He paced the deck with a villain’s stride Played the ship’s superintendent’s part With stipend paid to tend poor girls Deal out each day’s supplies At night he showed his villain’s hand Beneath his Superintendent’s guise When he slapped Lizzy’s face and accused her of boldness Said, “There’s more where they came if you don’t do as you told” Lizzy swallowed her tears and resolved her own fate If he did it again she would row back to shore in the lifeboat, The Lifeboat As so began the tyrant’s reign With a fist for each new day He would punch a woman’s fine proud nose Let it bleed until she’d faint He’d complain about conditions The tiresome duties to perform He’d say, “It’s my misfortune to be on this vessel” It was ours to be aboard We’d beg the ship’s surgeon, “admonish this man” But he’s just patch up the girl’s with his soft, useless hands Some sought protection from a willing ship’s crew Branded, “Dissolute wenches” for choosing to lie in their lifeboats, Their Lifeboat The rest of us wrote out our supplicant’s pleas Placed them in bottle’s threw them into the sea If the devil won’t take us and Jesus won’t come to our rescue We fear we will die here so send us a lifeboat A lifeboat
8.
Sail this ship across the sea Of shipwrecked souls and poor girls dreams Steer a course for Love’s Fair Game And take us all to Botany Bay (Female flirts with the sailor) Lizzy’s caught a sailor’s heart Cooked it up in a Briny Tart Threw a wink to come what may She says, “I’ll marry him before I get to Botany Bay Constance sews fine ladies gowns She says, “I’ll flog them all when I get to town” Set up shop with the money I take My fortune’s made when I get to Botany Bay Sail this ship across the sea Of shipwrecked souls and poor girls dreams Steer a course for Love’s Fair Game And take us all to Botany Bay Hanna wants to be a farmer’s wife Katie wants to lead a ladies life Millinery will help dear Annie bloom Fanny wants to teach the governor’s brood I have harboured my desire To tend fine rooms and stoke bright fires For I will be a parlour maid When I get to Botany Bay Sail this ship across the sea Of shipwrecked souls and poor girls dreams Steer a course for Love’s Fair Game And take us all to Botany Bay
9.
To all you pretty eyed lasses Have you never seen such blue As the sky above the ocean That glints at me As I sail away from you In every port there are women Trying to catch this sailor’s eye But there never was one lassie That held a gaze To rival this open sky To all you pretty eyed lasses My love she’s on the sea I sail beneath her vast blue eye That holds my gaze For my love has captured me
10.
11.
Tess is in the crew’s mess With Captain Charlie Cumms He promised her five shillings If he could play her kettle drums She placed two beauties in his hand Then blew his hornpipe on command Tess is in the crew’s mess With Captain Charlie Cumms Kate Smithen went a fishin’ With Colonel Davy Sackfull He promised her 5 shillings If she would hold his tackle She cast his rod into her waters Slipped it under her hindquarters Kate has gone a fishin’ With Davy Sackfull's rod Sally's in the galley With Major Johnny Slow He promised her five shillings If he could see her down below They're eating bread and butter One on top the other Sally's in the galley Eating Johnny Slow Instrumental Sally’s in the galley Kate Smithen went a fishin’ Tess is in the crew’s mess They all earned their five shillings By blowing horns and beating drums And buttering bread with Charlie Cumms Salley’s in the galley With a sailor down below
12.
Overboard 04:06
Now I’ve fallen overboard I lie here on the ocean floor Hear women wailing from the shore Calling me into Sydney I’ll navigate the tattooed skin Of sailor boys and captain’s men Who drowned before we sailed into Sydney Blow me down, I’m all at sea The taste of salt, unravels me Now I’m drunk, on harbour brine Throw me down a tawdry line And pull me into Sydney Now I’m aboard this sinking ship I can’t escape the fleshless grip That holds my breath and swings my hips into Sydney Loved ones bones sway to and fro There’s skeletons in the undertow Clutch at my skin as they waltz me into Sydney Blow me down, I’m all at sea The taste of salt, unravels me Now I’m drunk, on harbour brine Throw me down a tawdry line And pull me into Sydney Now I’ve fallen overboard I lie here on the ocean floor Hear women wailing from the shore Calling me into Sydney
13.
I’m a Good Girl A quiet girl Who’s been sailing for months to the end of the world To work for a lady, tend her fine home Marry a stranger, run house of my own Male continues to laugh at her distress. She rises. The soundscape fades as the song music and the female character become more focused: I’m a good girl A quiet girl Survived this long voyage to the end of the world Now there’s two thousand men waiting here on the pier And I want to go home I can’t show my face Cos they might see my tears As they pour out their filth Into my delicate ears Blackguards screaming at us from the rough ready shore MALE: “Look fellas, there’s another bloody boatload of whores” FEMALE: I’m a good girl A quiet girl Survived a long voyage to the end of the world Now I wish I had never stepped onto the pier Oh, I want to go home I want to go home I want to go home Spotlight on female character. Male retreats into black Now that I’m here.

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released September 5, 2020

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The Good Girl Song Project Melbourne, Australia

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