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 Rhodesia 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 three thousand 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 three thousand men.
From the fourth of August as the sun rose in the east,
For twelve 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 Elands River your water is heaven sent.
Oh! you Elands River your water is heaven sent;
There are oxen, mules and horses and men were lying dead.
Our garrison was scanty; a couple óf hundred or more.
De la Rey asked us to lay down arms to his three thousand 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.
"Rhodesians never surrender"; that is our testament.