Dying Hobo

Cat. #1209 (MFH #145) - As sung by Mrs. Claudie Richardson, Mountain View, Arkansas on August 31, 1971

VERSE 1
At an eastern water tank
A cold December day
In an empty boxcar
A dying hobo lay
His comrades all around him
To heed his last request
Now, trying to pay attention
What th dying hobo say

VERSE 2
Go tell my gal in Sibo
No more her place is here
That I'm aboard a north bound train
An' comin' right on thru
Tell 'er not to wait for me
Nor --- -- -- -- --
For I'm going where th hobo's
Never awake

VERSE 3
Where th hams that grow on th bushes
An' th men don't wear any socks
An' th whiskey, it comes flowing
Thru th crevices of th rocks

VERSE 4
His head fell back, his breath grew short
He never spoke again
Guess I'll have to wait
To catch that north bound train
I'm going said th hobo
Where th land is fair an' bright
Where th ground is warm enough
You can sleep out all night,
Where th hams that grow on th bushes
An' th men don't wear any socks
An' th whiskey it comes flowing
Thru th crevices of th rocks

(Mrs. Richardson's two young children were singing along and sometimes each one would use a different word and it very hard to understand what was said).

Variants