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Ballad of Lumpy Dean

from Oil & Water by David Ricciuti

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about

Tranported convict, William (Lumpy) Dean was my Great Grandfather (X4),
whom the suburb of Dean Park in Sydney was named after.

lyrics

THE BALLAD OF LUMPY DEAM- D Ricciuti/D Walker

Just a kid from Middlesex, a servant for a man
With influence and property to spare
Young William picked his pocket, fished out 20 quid
Old Bailey and the judge’s icy stare

Sentenced to be hanged by the neck until he died
In the 35th year of King George
Commuted to a prison hulk, four years in Langston Harbour
Then banished to the brutal fatal shore

CHORUS
300 men sailed the Hellship to Australia
95 were laid to rest at sea
7 months of sickness on the fever ridden Hillsborough
1 man made history

Thunderstorm was brewing as they sailed into the harbour
Young William Dean was more dead than alive
The Governor made mention of their miserable conditions
And wondered how any could survive

He set sail once again down the Parramatta river
His life assigned to a preacher man
The Reverend Samual Marsden, the fearsome flogging Parson
Built his legacy with the convict hands

CHORUS
300 men sailed the Hellship to Australia
95 were laid to rest at sea
7 months of sickness on the fever ridden Hillsborough
1 man made history

William kept his nose clean and got emancipated
Got some land and a brand new life
Female convicts in the street, he dropped a hanky at her feet
And Elizabeth became his loyal wife

He grew in girth and power and every waking hour
The Eastern Creek was flowing through his mind
The farming and the toil, the riches and the spoils
The equal of the men he once defied

CHORUS
300 men sailed the Hellship to Australia
95 were laid to rest at sea
7 months of sickness on the fever ridden Hillsborough
1 man made history

Trouble on the left of him, riches to the right
He built a pub upon the Western road
Bush Inn business booming with a Blacksmith out the back
Lumpy Dean reaped all that he sowed

They say you judge a man by what he leaves behind
History becomes a blushing bride
A suburb and a Primary School both bearers of his name
Eight children spread descendants far and wide

A giant of a man, a legend of his time
No bushel could his light ever hide
A big chair took the weight of all he did create
And a giant whisky glass by his side

CHORUS
300 men sailed the Hellship to Australia
95 were laid to rest at sea
7 months of sickness on the fever ridden Hillsborough
1 man made history
1 man made history

credits

from Oil & Water, released July 1, 2016

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David Ricciuti VIC, Australia

With a voice like warm caramel, David is almost the reluctant frontman, a gifted singer/songwriter whose talent demands he play. His debut solo album showcases the talents, the experiences & the stories he’s picked up along the way. It has been lovingly crafted from the ground up to be what it is -great country music with intelligent lyrics - sometimes sad, sometimes funny and always observational ... more

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