We left Macquarie Harbour it was in the pouring rain

none of us quite sure if we would see England again

some fool muttered death or liberty

there was six of us together a jolly hungry crew

and as the days went by you know our hunger quickly grew

some fool muttered death or liberty



So that night we made fires out of twigs and out of bark

and our stomachs they were grumbling all through the night so dark

we were only trying to keep ourselves alive

but when the sun came up next morning well the six had turned to five



And I said, right theres another one, dont you frown,

Chew the meat and hold it down, Its a tale they wont believe,

When I get down to Hobart town



All five of us were nervous and I'll tell you thats a fact

bu you should have seen the bastard who was carrying the axe

He was a sick man he had murder in his heart



And then we reached the Franklin River, and it took two days to cross

we were wet and almost starvin and for food were at a loss

we were hungry men with murder on our minds.



So that night we made a fire out of twigs and out of bark

and our stomachs they were rumbling all through the night so dark,

And they were making noises the dead could not ignore

and when the sun came up next morning,

the five had turned to four!



And I said, right theres another one, dont you frown,

Chew the meat and hold it down, Its a tale they wont believe,

When I get down to Hobart town



Well the four of us kept marching to a place called Western Teirs

A country full of tasty game but for us it held no cheer

we had no guns we were traveling without hope.

But the axe it loomed so ominous and God's hand was at play

a sick man is a type of game which can not run a