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