The Black Velvet Band

“The Black Velvet Band” is a traditional folk song with a complex history, having been collected from singers across Ireland, Australia, England, Canada, and the United States. The song narrates the story of a young man who, after being deceived by a woman wearing a black velvet band, is wrongfully accused of theft and sentenced to transportation to Australia—a common punishment in the British Empire during the 19th century.

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The song’s origins are somewhat obscure, but it appears to have originated in the second half of the 19th century. It was published as a broadside ballad by Swindells of Manchester sometime between 1796 and 1853, and by H. Such of London between 1863 and 1885. The narrative’s setting varies across versions, with locations including London, Belfast, Tralee, and Dunmanway, County Cork. In the broadside versions, the events take place on Ratcliffe Highway, a street in the East End of London. . The song gained significant popularity in the 1960s when The Dubliners released their rendition in 1967, based on a version sung by traditional English singer Harry Cox. This version contributed to the song’s widespread recognition and its status as a staple in Irish music sessions and folk repertoires worldwide.

In a neat little town they call Belfast, apprenticed to trade I was bound And many’s the hour of sweet happiness, I spent in that neat little town Till sad misfortune came over me, which caused me to stray from the land Far away from me friends and relations, betrayed by the black velvet band

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Her eyes they shone like diamonds, I thought her the queen of the land And her hair it hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band

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I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid, and a gentleman passing us by I knew she meant the undoing of me, by the look in her roguish black eye A gold watch she took from his pocket, and she placed it right into me hand And the very first thing that I thought was, bad luck to the black velvet band

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Her eyes they shone like diamonds, I thought her the queen of the land And her hair it hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band

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Now before a judge and a jury, next morning I had to appear Oh the judge he said to me “Young man, your case is proven clear  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

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Her eyes they shone like diamonds, I thought her the queen of the land And her hair it hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band

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So come all ye jolly young fellows, and a warning take by me For when you are out on the town me lads, beware of them pretty colleens For they’ll feed you with strong ale “More Yeah”, until you are unable to stand And the very next thing that you know me lads, is you’ve landed in Van Diemen’s Land

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Her eyes they shone like diamonds, I thought her the queen of the land And her hair it hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band

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Her eyes they shone like diamonds, I thought her the queen of the land And her hair it hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band