[Lyrics]
Brakfontein is a pretty good base, it's a pretty good place to be
With the Southern Rhodesian volunteers and the men from the B.S.A.P.
And a whole lot of diggers from Australia and the Rhodesia regiment
and the water from the Elands River …
[Lyrics]
Brakfontein is a pretty good base, it's a pretty good place to be
With the Southern Rhodesian volunteers and the men from the B.S.A.P.
And a whole lot of diggers from Australia and the Rhodesia regiment
and the water from the Elands River was fresh and heaven sent
Oh you Elands River your water is heaven sent
For a whole lot of diggers from Australia and the Rhodesian regiment.
It was on the third of August on a crisp South African night
And the Year was 1900 with the Boer war at its height
De la Rey was in those hills with his 3000 men
And the water from the Elands River was fresh and heaven sent
Oh you Elands River your water is heaven sent
De la Rey is in those hills with his 3000 men
From the 4th August as the sun rose in the East
For 12 long days with shell and shot they killed most every beast
There were oxen, mules and horses and men were lying dead
But the water from the Eland's river was fresh and heaven sent
Oh you Elands River your water is heaven sent
There are oxen, mules and horses and men are lying dead
Our garrison was scanty a couple o' 100 or more
De la Rey asked us to lay down arms to his 3000 Boers
Rhodesians never surrender, that was our testament
And the water from the Elands River was fresh and heaven sent.
Oh you Elands River your water is heaven sent
Rhodesians never surrender, this is our testament
De la Rey is gone now, we don't know where he went
Rhodesians never surrender, and that's our testament
At the siege of Elands River, we made that testament
[Lyrics transcribed by The Ghost of Ian Smith in July of 2019]
Album:
The Boer war in Song - What in the hell was it for
