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I was born and reared in Boston,
A place you know quite well,
Brought up by honest parents,
The truth to you I'll tell;
Brought up by honest parents,
And reared most tenderly,
Until I became a sporting lad
At the age of twenty-three.
My character was broken,
And I was thrown in jail,
My friends and parents did their best
For to get me out on bail;
But the jury found me guilty,
And the judge he wrote it down,
For breaking of the Union Bank,
You're sent to Charlestown.
I can see me dear old father,
Standing at the bar,
And likewise, my dear mother,
Tearing out her hair;
Oh, tearing out her old gray locks,
As the tears they come tumbling down,
My son, my son, what have you done,
To be sent to Charlestown?
I stepped on board an east bound train
One cold December day,
And every station I passed by,
I could hear the people say:
There goes the Boston Burglar,
In strong irons he is bound,
For breaking of the Union Bank,
You're sent to Charlestown.
There's a girl in Boston city,
A girl I know so well,
And if I get my liberty,
With her I'd love to dwell;
And if I get my liberty,
Rough company I would shun,
And likewise walking late at night,
And likewise drinking rum.
Oh, you who have your liberty,
Keep it if you can,
And don't go midnight rambling,
You'll break the laws of man;
And if you do you're sure to rue,
And end up just like me,
Oh, you'll find yourself for twenty years
In the penitentiary.
Oh, you'll find yourself for twenty years
In the penitentiary.
Robert B. Waltz noted in the California State University, Fresno Ballad Index that the original version of this piece was a transportation song to Botany Bay, and that the subfamily of texts known as The Boston Burglar is now credited (Marks, Spaeth, Cazden et al; cf. Randolph) to Michael J. Fitzgerald. The amount of reworking done by Fitzgerald, however, was slight, and older and newer versions continue to mix.
MacEdward Leach (1897-1967) collected a variant published as #101, The Boston Burglar, in Folk Ballads And Songs Of The Lower Labrador Coast by the National Museum of Canada (Ottawa, 1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
A variant was recorded by Ryan's Fancy (Brand New Songs ©1977, RCA Records; Sea People ©1979, Boot Records).
See more songs by Ryan's Fancy.
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Notes On Guitar Tabs:
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All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
As recorded by Kilkenny Krew (Kilkenny Krew, 2002)
Intro: [G] [C] [G] [D] [G]..2..3..4.. [C] [D] [G]..2.. [D]..2.. [G]
I was born and [C] reared in [G] Bos- [D] ton,
A [G] place you know quite well,
Brought [C] up by [D] honest [G] parents,
The truth to [C] you I'll [D] tell;
Brought [G] up by [C] honest [G] par- [D] ents,
And [G] reared most tenderly,
Until [C] I be- [D] came a [G] sporting lad,
At the [D] age of twenty- [G] three.
My charac- [C] ter was [G] bro- [D] ken,
And [G] I was thrown in jail,
My [C] friends and [D] parents [G] did their best,
For to get me [C] out on [D] bail;
But the [G] jury [C] found me [G] guil- [D] ty,
And the [G] judge he wrote it down,
For [C] breaking [D] of the [G] Union Bank,
You're [D] sent to Charles- [G] town.
I can see me [C] dear old [G] fa- [D] ther,
[G] Standing at the bar,
And [C] likewise [D] my dear [G] mother,
Tearing [C] out her [D] hair;
Oh, [G] tearing [C] out her [G] old gray [D] locks,
As the [G] tears they come tumbling down,
My [C] son, my [D] son, what [G] have you done,
To be [D] sent to Charles- [G] town?
Interlude: (Verse Chords)
I stepped on [C] board an [G] east bound [D] train,
One [G] cold December day,
And [C] every [D] station [G] I passed by,
I could hear the [C] people [D] say;
There [G] goes the [C] Boston [G] Burg- [D] lar,
In [G] strong irons he is bound,
For [C] breaking [D] of the [G] Union Bank,
You're [D] sent to Charles- [G] town.
There's a girl in [C] Boston [G] ci- [D] ty,
A [G] girl I know so well,
And [C] if I [D] get my [G] liberty,
With her I'd [C] love to [D] dwell;
And [G] if I [C] get my [G] liber- [D] ty,
Rough [G] company I would shun,
And [C] likewise [D] walking [G] late at night,
And [D] likewise drinking [G] rum.
Oh, you who [C] have your [G] liber- [D] ty,
[G] Keep it if you can,
And [C] don't go [D] midnight [G] rambling,
You'll break the [C] laws of [D] man;
And [G] if you [C] do you're [G] sure to [D] rue,
And [G] end up just like me,
Oh, you'll [C] find your- [D] self for [G] twenty years
In the [D] penitenti- [G] ary.
Outro:
Oh, you'll [C] find your- [D] self for [G] twenty years
In the [D] penitenti- [G] ary.
