Lyrics
They turned him out at Beechworth Gaol in 1871
He put in three long years behind those walls
For the stealing of a horse he swore he'd never done
But now he sees the sun and turns his back upon it all
Walk softly, cried the magistrate who counted up the score
Walk softly, cried the turnkey as he clanged the iron door
Walk softly, cried his comrades cringing on that prison floor
But the summer's on the meadow
And the wind is in the gumtree
And the Beechworth Gaol is many miles behind you
In a prison ship in shackles, his father reached this land
He stole one pig and for that crime he paid
Inside a cold dark prison cell he died a broken man
And he left his wife to curse the
Crown while his children dug his grave
Speak softly, cried the gaoler laying slop upon his plate
Speak softly, cried the turnkey as he opened up the gate
Speak softly, cried his mother, it's been oh so long to wait
But the summer's on the meadow
And the wind is in the gumtree
And the Beechworth Gaol is many miles behind you
They told him it was over and his song was damn well sung
They told him wild Australian'd have to change
And he'd better watch his temper and he'd better mind his tongue
For the next time that he walked inside those gates he'd surely hang
Speak boldly, cried his father from the grave in which he lay
Speak boldly, cried his country, there's a trust that's been betrayed
Speak boldly, cried his conscience, there's a debt and it must be paid
But the summer's on the meadow
And the wind is in the gumtree
And the Beechworth Gaol is many miles behind you