Ballad of Jack Reilly
Johnny McEvoy Lyrics

His hair was red, his eyes were blue, his age was eighteen years
Jack Reilly was a young man with red hair and blue eyes, who was eighteen years old

And as they sailed around Cape Horn his eyes filled up with tears
When they sailed around Cape Horn, Jack Reilly wept because he knew he would never see his home or native land again

For he knew he'd never see his home or native land again
Jack Reilly was aware that he would never return to his homeland

And the captain said Jack Reilly you will die a convict man
The captain informed Jack Reilly that he would die as a convict

With prison chains around his wrists that cut him to the bone
Jack Reilly had chains on his wrists that cut him deeply

The captain said ‘Jack Reilly, son, your very soul I'll own
The captain told Jack Reilly that he would own his soul

I'll bend and twist it to my will - for death you'll surely pray
The captain planned to twist and bend Jack Reilly's soul to his will, making him wish for death

But I'll see you live to end your days in chains in Botany Bay
The captain wished to see Jack Reilly spend his life in chains in Botany Bay

With quiet words Jack Reilly swore ‘The day will surely come
Jack Reilly swore that a day would come when he would be free

When I will slip these prison chains and justice will be done'
Jack Reilly planned to escape from prison and bring justice to those who had wronged him

For three long weeks he took no bread, just water from the can
Jack Reilly went without food for three weeks and only drank water

And all his comrades around him swore he was the dying man
Jack Reilly's comrades thought he was dying

Until one night he slipped his chains and out the door he ran
Jack Reilly escaped by slipping his chains and running out the door

He grabbed a pistol from the guard and up the deck he sprang
Jack Reilly seized a pistol from a guard and ran up to the deck

‘My name it is Jack Reilly and from Ireland I do come
Jack Reilly introduced himself as a man named Jack Reilly who came from Ireland

And neither man nor master has the right to tie me down!'
Jack Reilly believed no one had the right to restrain him

Up to the captain's door he went - no fear could slow him down
Jack Reilly went to the captain's door without fear

For he would show no mercy to the servant of the crown
Jack Reilly planned to show no mercy to the captain, who served the crown

The captain stepped out on the deck with cutlass in his hand
The captain emerged on the deck holding a cutlass

‘Surrender or I'll run you through and drop where you stand!'
The captain threatened to run Jack Reilly through with his cutlass

The crew looked on in silence then and ne'er a murmur made
The crew silently observed the exchange between the captain and Jack Reilly

For they were tired and hungry men and not a word was said
The crew was too tired and hungry to say anything

Jack Reilly raised the pistol high, the captain made a frown
Jack Reilly raised his pistol, causing the captain to frown

And with a single pistol shot he brought the captain down
Jack Reilly shot the captain with a single shot from his pistol

The crew they said ‘Jack Reilly, mate, we'll lower you o'er the side
The crew offered to lower Jack Reilly over the side of the ship

Into the longboat you must go and bid this ship goodbye
Jack Reilly had to leave the ship and say goodbye

For there's a man-o-war about - they'll catch you if they can
There was a man-o-war nearby that would catch Jack Reilly if they could

And from the yard down, Jack me boy, your body they will hang'
If caught, Jack Reilly would be hanged

And so he turned the longboat round and to the rising sun
Jack Reilly turned the longboat around and headed towards the rising sun

Five lonely days and nights he rowed till he was nearly done
Jack Reilly rowed for five days and nights until he was almost exhausted

Then he heard the sound of breaking waves on free Australian sand
Jack Reilly heard the sound of waves breaking on the Australian coastline

And jumping from the longboat up onto the beach he swam
Jack Reilly jumped out of the longboat and swam to the shore

Through New South Wales he made his way beneath the burning sun
Jack Reilly traveled through New South Wales under the hot sun

And 'cross the Murray River when a month was barely gone
A month later, Jack Reilly crossed the Murray River

Twas there he met an outlaw band, he told them of his plight
Jack Reilly met an outlaw band and shared his story with them

They said ‘Brave man, Jack Reilly, you will ride with us tonight'
The outlaws invited Jack Reilly to join them in their ride that night

They rode like devils through the dust across Australian plains
Jack Reilly rode with the outlaws across the plains of Australia

They robbed the banks in every town, they robbed the smoking trains
The outlaws robbed banks and trains in every town they visited

Jack Reilly was the best of them, he rode from dusk till dawn
Jack Reilly was a skilled outlaw who rode from dusk until dawn

He shot the bankers one by one - he shot the bankers down
Jack Reilly shot the bankers one by one during the robberies

The constables and troopers searched the land from miles around
Law enforcement searched for Jack Reilly across the countryside

Yet neither hide nor hair of him was nowhere to be found
Jack Reilly eluded capture and was nowhere to be found

The folks round here where Irish and they'd answer with a grin
When asked about Jack Reilly, the locals, who were Irish, would smile and deny knowing him

‘You say his name's Jack Reilly? No - never heard of him…'
The locals denied knowing Jack Reilly when asked about him

For six long years he rode the bush, he led the outlaw band
Jack Reilly led the outlaw band for six years as they roamed the countryside

He robbed the rich men from their gold, he took it from their hands
Jack Reilly robbed wealthy individuals and took their gold from their possession

No woman's love could hold him down though many tried and failed
Despite many attempts, no woman could hold down Jack Reilly

Jack Reilly was a free man now and no man's law obeyed -
Jack Reilly was a free man who didn't obey any laws

The time was passing quickly by and Jack was slowing down
As time passed, Jack Reilly was slowing down

One day he left the outlaw band for Queensland he was bound
Jack Reilly left the outlaw gang one day and headed for Queensland

He spurred his pony as he headed for the line
Jack Reilly urged his pony as he headed towards the border

With the constables and troopers getting closer all the time
Law enforcement was getting closer to Jack Reilly every passing moment

He rode through Bullawarra on a cold and moonlight night
Jack Reilly rode through Bullawarra on a cold, moonlit evening

The troopers closed behind him, well, they found him at daylight
The troopers caught up to Jack Reilly at daylight

Six carbine shots rang out that dawn that took his life away
Six gunshots were fired at Jack Reilly, taking his life away

And that was how Jack Reilly died way down in Botany Bay
Jack Reilly died in Botany Bay