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The Wreck of the Dandenong

Trad.

This traditional Australian folk song tells of the sinking of the steamship Dandenong in the autumn of 1876 during a storm near Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia.

 

Australian folk musician Kate Burke created an arrangement and added a refrain, and she and Ruth Hazleton included it on their 2000 album A Thousand Miles or More.

LYRICS

00:00 / 01:04

CHORUS

And I dream of you, I dream of sleep

I dream of being warm

But through the night I have to sail

All through this raging storm

 

Oh, wild and furious blew the blast
And the clouds were hangin' round
When the Dandenong from Melbourne sailed
To Newcastle port was bound
She had eighty three poor souls on board
Through the storm she cleaved her way
Well, it's sad to relate her terrible fate
Was just off Jervis bay

 

CHORUS

While steering through the briny waves
A propelling shaft gave way
And the waters they came crashing in
Which filled us with dismay*
All hands on board did all they could
'Til at length all hope was gone
And they hoisted a signal of distress
On board of the Dandenong

CHORUS

It was not long until a barque
Of a brisk and lively crew
Came bearing down and the Captain cried
"We'll see what we can do!"
Came bearing down with might and main
In spite of land or wave
They did all they could as sailors would
Those precious lives to save

CHORUS

Now some in boats they tried to reach
That kind and friendly barque
And numbers of their lives were saved
But the night came on pitch dark
What mortal man then could do more
When the storm increased on strong
And the rest now sleep in the briny deep
Along with the Dandenong

CHORUS x 2

Tags:

Traditional, Ships/Sailing, Sea Shanty, Historical, Sad, Sinking, Death, Australian, Australia, Slow Tempo

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We acknowledge the Gadigal and Bidjigal people of the Eora nation, upon whose lands we gather and sing.
We acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

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Numerous photos by Nick Ryden 

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