whenever i first came out to australia
i brought two pairs of dms
and three pairs of jeans
a ticket to australia
with a head full of dreams
and there was tears at the airport
and i wrote a letter on the way
and i stopped off in singapore
but only for a day

but i
never meant to stay no
it was only meant to be for
for a holiday
oh but i've
i've overstayed now
and i pray now
for an amnesty

the plane landed in at botany
on a day that was very hot
and this time the irish had invaded the place
without having to fire a shot
and i went to the hotel bondi if you know it
and bought a schooner of new
and sitting drinking it in the sun
that's when i knew

but i
never meant to stay no
it was only meant to be for
for a holiday
oh but i
i've overstayed now
and i pray now
for an amnesty

two hundred years ago they were
shippin' us out
nineteen eighty-eight they were
flyin' us back
there's no guards or chains
a-keepin' me here
but if they caught me
they'd probably send me back

but i
never meant to stay no
was only meant to be for
for a holiday
oh but i
i've overstayed now
and i pray now
for an amnesty

i had a backpack
but i just ended up gettin' a job
i never got round to travelling
i just hit the grog
then i moved to the suburbs
and i got married, with a kid
i've got rms instead of dms now
the jeans no longer fit

but i
never meant to stay no
was only meant to be for
for a holiday
oh but i
i've overstayed now
and i pray now
for an amnes