BLACK VELVET BAND

(Chorus)
       E
Her eyes they shone like the diamonds
                                                          B7
You'd swear she was queen of the land (and she was!)
               E                                        C#m
And her hair hung over her shoulders
         A          B7                 E
Tied up with a black velvet band

In a neat little town they call Belfast
Apprenticed to trade I was bound
And it's many's the hour of sweet happiness
Have I spent in that neat little town
But a bad misfortune came over me
And caused me to stray from the land
Far away from my friends and relations
Betrayed by the black velvet band

I took a stroll with this pretty young maid
And a gentleman passing us by,
Well I knew she meant the doing of him
By the look in her rogue-ish black eyes.
Well a gold watch she took from his pocket
And slipped it right into my hand
And the very first thing that I said was
"What's this?" to the black velvet band

Before the judge and the jury
Next morning I had to appear
The judge, he says to me, "Young man
Your taste has proven quite dear
For we'll give you seven years penal servitude
To be spent far away from the land
Far away from your friends and relations
Betrayed by the black velvet band"

So come all you jolly young fellows
This warning you'll take by me
When you are out on the town me boys
Beware of the pretty colleens
For they'll feed you with strong drink, me lads
'Til you are unable to stand
And the very next thing that you know is
You've landed in Van Dieman's Land