The Wild Colonial Boy
Killarney Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was born and raised in Ireland in a place called Castlemaine
He was his father′s only son, his mother's pride and joy
And dearly did his parents love the wild colonial boy
At the early age of sixteen years, he left his native home
And to Australia′s sunny shore he was inclined to roam
He robbed the rich, he helped the poor, he shot James McAvoy
One morning on the prairie as Jack he rode along
A listening to the mockingbird a singing a cheerful song
Out stepped a band of troopers, Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy
They all set out to capture him, the wild colonial boy
"Surrender now Jack Duggan for you see we're three to one
Surrender in the Queen's high name for you′re a plundering son"
Jack pulled two pistols from his belt and he proudly waved them high
"I′ll fight, but not surrender," said the wild colonial boy
He fired a shot at Kelly, which brought him to the ground
And turning 'round to Davis, he received a fatal wound
A bullet pierced his proud young heart from the pistol of Fitzroy
And that was how they captured him, the wild colonial boy
The song 'The Wild Colonial Boy' by Killarney Singers tells the story of a man named Jack Duggan who was born and raised in Ireland. Duggan was his parent's only son, making him the pride and joy of his mother and father. When he turned sixteen years old, he left his hometown of Castlemaine in Ireland and decided to venture out to Australia. Once in Australia, Duggan became known as the "wild colonial boy," as he began to rob from the rich and give to the poor, earning him a reputation as a terror to Australia.
One day, while riding through the prairie, Duggan was confronted by three troopers - Kelly, Davis, and Fitzroy - who set out to capture him. They demanded that he surrenders, but instead, Duggan decided to fight. He pulled out two pistols from his belt and shot Kelly, which brought him to the ground. Duggan then turned his attention to Davis and killed him. However, he was fatally wounded by Fitzroy's pistol, and that was how the authorities managed to capture him.
The song illustrates the life of an outlaw who is willing to fight for his freedom and beliefs. Despite the consequences of his actions, Duggan remained committed to his cause and reputation until his last breath. Ultimately, 'The Wild Colonial Boy' is a tale of bravery, loyalty and the consequences of actions.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Duggan was his name
Jack Duggan was known as the wild colonial boy
He was born and raised in Ireland in a place called Castlemaine
Jack Duggan was born and raised in Castlemaine, Ireland
He was his father's only son, his mother's pride and joy
Jack Duggan was the only son of his father and his mother cherished him
And dearly did his parents love the wild colonial boy
Jack Duggan's parents loved and adored him very much
At the early age of sixteen years, he left his native home
Jack Duggan left his homeland at the young age of sixteen
And to Australia's sunny shore he was inclined to roam
He was attracted to Australia's bright and lively environment and decided to move there
He robbed the rich, he helped the poor, he shot James McAvoy
Jack Duggan was a robber who would steal from the wealthy and aid the less fortunate, and he also killed someone named James McAvoy
A terror to Australia was the wild colonial boy
Jack Duggan was a notorious figure known for being a threat to people's safety in Australia
One morning on the prairie as Jack he rode along
While traveling on horseback one day, Jack Duggan rode across the prairie
A listening to the mockingbird a singing a cheerful song
As he rode along, he heard a mockingbird singing a joyful tune
Out stepped a band of troopers, Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy
Suddenly, a troop of soldiers consisting of Kelly, Davis, and Fitzroy confronted him
They all set out to capture him, the wild colonial boy
The soldiers made an attempt to capture Jack Duggan
Surrender now Jack Duggan for you see we're three to one
The soldiers demanded that Jack Duggan surrender since they had the advantage of being three versus one
Surrender in the Queen's high name for you're a plundering son
The soldiers urged Jack Duggan to surrender in the name of the Queen since he was a notorious robber
Jack pulled two pistols from his belt and he proudly waved them high
Jack Duggan retrieved two guns from his belt and exhibited them proudly
"I'll fight, but not surrender," said the wild colonial boy
Jack Duggan refused to surrender and declared that he would fight the soldiers
He fired a shot at Kelly, which brought him to the ground
Jack Duggan shot Kelly, which knocked him down to the ground
And turning 'round to Davis, he received a fatal wound
Jack Duggan shot Davis resulting in a deadly injury
A bullet pierced his proud young heart from the pistol of Fitzroy
Fitzroy shot Jack Duggan in the heart, leading to his downfall
And that was how they captured him, the wild colonial boy
This was how the soldiers captured Jack Duggan, the wild colonial boy
Writer(s): George Stephen Bradley
Contributed by Kaelyn I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.