The Wild Colonial Boy

"The Wild Colonial Boy" is a traditional anonymous Irish-Australian ballad of which there are many different versions, the most prominent being the Irish and Australian versions. The original version was about Jack Donahue, an Irish rebel who became a convict, then a bushranger, and was eventually shot dead by police. This version was outlawed as seditious, so the name in the song was changed to Jack Doolan. The Irish version is about a Jack Duggan, young emigrant who left the town of Castlemaine, County Kerry, Ireland, for Australia in the early 19th century. According to the song, he spent his time "robbing from the rich to feed the poor". In the song, Duggan is fatally wounded in an ambush when he is shot in the heart by Fitzroy. "The Wild Colonial Boy" has been recorded by Dr. Hook, Rolf Harris, Larry Kirwan, John Doyle, and The Clancy Brothers, among others, and was featured in the film The Quiet Man.

Chorus

      There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Duggan was his name
                                 D             D7           G
      He was born and raised in Ireland, in a place called Castlemaine
                           D            D7                G
      He was his father's only son, his mother's pride and joy,
                  D7      C       D              D6   D7  G
      And dearly did his parents love, the wild colonial boy.

(Repeat)

Irish lyrics

The lyrics are as follows:

There was a wild colonial boy,

Jack Duggan was his name

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 MacEvoy

A terror to Australia was

the wild colonial boy

One morning on the prairie,

as Jack he rode along

A-listening to the mocking bird,

a-singing a cheerful song

Up 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,

you are a plundering son

Jack drew two pistols from his belt,

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

Australian lyrics

The Australian version is quite different. It is about a boy named Jack Doolan, born in Castlemaine. The poem then continues on to tell of his exploits without mentioning his moving to Australia, which implies that the Castlemaine in question is that in Victoria.

Here is one version of the "Jack Doolan" poem:
Chorus:

Come along my hearties,

We'll roam the mountains high,

Together we will plunder,

Together we will ride.

We'll scar over valleys,

And gallop for the plains,

And scorn to live in

slavery, bound down by iron chains.

It's of a wild Colonial Boy,

Jack Doolan was his name,

Of poor but honest parents,

He was born in Castlemaine.

He was his father's only son,

His mother's pride and joy,

And so dearly did his parents love

The wild Colonial Boy.

When scarcely sixteen years of age,

He left his father's home,

And through Australia's sunny shores

A bushranger did roam.

He'd rob the largest squatters,

Their stock he would destroy,

A terror to Australia was

The wild Colonial Boy.

In sixty-one this daring youth

Commenced his wild career,

With a heart that knew no danger,

No stranger did he fear.

He bailed up the Beechworth roll mail-coach,

And robbed Judge MacEvoy,

Who trembled and gave up his gold to

The wild Colonial Boy.

He bade the judge "Good morning,"

And told him to beware,

That he'd never rob a poor man

Who wafted on the square,

Three mounted troopers came in sight,

Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy,

Who thought that they would capture him,

The wild Colonial Boy.

"Surrender now, Jack Doolan,

You see we're three to one.

Surrender in the queen's high name,

You daring highwayman."

Jack drew a pistol from his belt,

And waved it like a toy,

"I'll fight, but not surrender,"

Cried the wild Colonial Boy.

He fired at Trooper Kelly,

And brought him to the ground,

And in return from Davis,

He received a mortal wound.

All shattered through the jaws he lay,

Still firing at Fitzroy,

And that's the way they captured him –

The wild Colonial Boy.

In popular culture

• The Album "Ireland in Song" by Cathy Maguire includes the Irish Version of the Song:
• In the United States, a version of this song was popularized by folk singer Burl Ives.
• Dr. Hook recorded a version of this song, on American Bandstand (1981). It was mentioned by Dennis Locorriere that the royalties went to charity.
• Billy Walker recorded the song as B-side to his hit, Charlie's Shoes, in 1962. He included it in his album, Greatest Hits.
• The walking skeleton in Robert Frost's poem the Witch of Coos is said to have been searching for way out of the house, because he wanted to sing his favorite song, "The Wild Colonial Boy", in the snow.
• A portion of the Irish version of "The Wild Colonial Boy" can be heard in the 1952 film The Quiet Man.
• Mick Jagger sings this song in the 1970 movie Ned Kelly, which is about the real-life Australian outlaw, of the same name. According to The Argus report in November 1880, Mrs Anne Jones had asked her son to sing the ballad when the Kelly gang were at her hotel in June that year.
• A waltz version of the tune features in the ball scene in Baz Luhrmann's film Australia (2008)
• Damien Leith released a version of his 2015 album Songs From Ireland

External links

• Australian research on the origins of the song by Granville Allen Mawer
• Lyrics re-written based on historical research of the real Jack Doolan's story by Granville Allen Mawer