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Her eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the land;
And her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band.
In a neat little town they call Belfast,
Apprenticed to trade I was bound;
And many an hour with sweet happiness,
I spent in that neat little town;
Till bad misfortune came o'er me,
And caused me to stray from the land;
Far away from me friends and relations,
To follow the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the land;
And her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Well, I was out strolling one evening,
Not meaning to go very far;
When I met with a pretty young damsel,
Just selling her trade in a bar;
When a watch she took from a customer,
And slipped it right into my hand;
Then the law came and put me in prison,
Bad luck to her black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the land;
And her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Next morning before judge and jury,
For trial I had to appear;
Then the judge he said, "My young fellow,
The case against you is quite clear;
And seven long years is your sentence,
You're going to Van Dieman's Land;
Far away from your friends and relations,
To follow the black velvet band."
Her eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the land;
And her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band.
So, come all you jolly young fellows,
I'll have you take warning by me;
And whenever you're out on the liquor, me lads,
Beware of the pretty colleens;
Or they'll fill you with whiskey and porter,
Till you are not able to stand;
And the very next thing that you know, me lads
You've landed in Van Dieman's Land.
Her eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the land;
And her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the land;
And her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band.
In a [G] neat little town they call Belfast,
Apprenticed in trade I was [D] bound;
And [G] many an hour of sweet [Em] happiness,
I [C] spent in that [D] neat little [G] town;
Till [G] bad misfortune befell me,
And caused me to stray from the [D] land;
Far [G] away from my friends and re-[Em] lations,
To [C] follow the [D] black velvet [G] band.
Her [G] eyes they shone like the diamond,
You'd think she was queen of the [D] land;
And her [G] hair hung over her [Em] shoulder,
Tied [C] up in a [D] black velvet [G] band.
Well, [G] I was out strolling one evening,
Not meaning to go very [D] far;
When I [G] met with a pretty young [Em] damsel,
She was [C] plying her [D] trade in a [G] bar;
When a [G] watch she took from a customer,
And slipped it right into my [D] hand;
Then the [G] law came and put me in [Em] prison,
Bad luck to the [D] black velvet [G] band.
Next [G] morning before judge and jury,
For our trial I had to [D] appear;
The [G] judge, he said, young [Em] fellow,
The [C] case against [D] you is quite [G] clear;
And [G] seven years is your sentence,
You're going to Van Dieman's [D] Land;
Far [G] away from your friends and re-[Em] lations,
To [C] follow the [D] black velvet [G] band.
So [G] come all you jolly young fellows,
I'd have you take warning by [G] me;
And whenever you're out on the [Em] liquor,
Be-[C] ware of the [D] pretty col-[G] leen;
They'll [G] fill you with whiskey and porter,
Until You're not able to [D] stand;
And the [G] very next thing that you [Em] know,
You're [C] landed in [D] Van Dieman's [G] Land.