3220. The Boonaroo (Don Henderson) Ringwood Folk Club Zoom Session

As one of the folk club members sang Don Henderson's "It's On" in the previous Zoom session, followed by some discussion of this important Australian singer-songwriter, I decided to do another of his songs, one I had put up not long ago on YouTube.

This song was written in 1967 when the crew of the Boonaroo and Jeparit refused to sail to Vietnam with a cargo of bombs and detonators for the war in that country. The merchant seamen made the following statement on March 8, 1967: "... we civilian seamen are being called upon to participate in a war that has horrified the world, has no support from the United Nations, and is bringing death and destruction to thousands of innocent people by the use of such bombs as are to be carried on the Boonaroo. We cannot support such a war." The Federal Government ordered the Navy to take control of the supply ships and their deadly cargo was delivered to the war zone.

Lyrics and chords:
D
Oh, who will man the Boonaroo?
G …………………….............….. D
Who will sail her, be the crew,
……....… A7 ……….......… D
Sailing on the Boonaroo?
………....... G
Is there food and is there store
……........……… D
To feed the hungry, clothe the poor?
…….....… A7 …………............………… D
In this world their number isn't few.
….....….. G
In her cargo would you find
…...…. D
Any way for one mankind,
….....….. A7 …….....……. D
Sailing on the Boonaroo.

Is there bandage by the reel?
Is there medicine to heal?
Christ knows, there's healing work to do.

Would the hull be filled
With material to build,
Perhaps a bridge for a world that's cut in two?

Or jam packed in the hold,
Is there grief and death untold
And asked why I’d have to answer true.

You can see a playlist of my Australian songs here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com