Luyện nghe bài hát The Face On The Barroom Floor

Recorded by Snow
Author - Hugh Antoine

'Twas a balmy summer evening and a crowd was there
Which filled Joe's barroom on the corner of the square
And as songs and witty stories came the open door
A crept slowly in and posed upon the floor.
"Where did it come from?" Someone said. "The has blown it in?"
"What it want?" another cried, "Some whiskey, rum or gin?"
"Here, Toby, seek him, if stomach's equal to the work!"
"I touch him with a fork, why, he's as filthy as a Turk."
This badinage the poor wretch took with stoical grace
In fact, he as though he thought he'd struck the proper place
"Come, boys, I know kindly hearts among so good a crowd
Why, to be in such good company make a deacon proud."
"Give me a drink - that's what I - I'm out of funds, you know
When I had cash to treat the gang, hand was never slow
What? You as tho' you thought this pocket never held a sou
Why, I was fixed as well, my boys, as of you."
"There, thanks - braced me nicely - God bless you one and all
Next I pass this good saloon, I'll make another call
Give you a song? No, I can't do - my singing days are past
My voice is cracked and my throat's out and my lungs are going fast.
"Say, Give me whiskey and I'll tell you what I'll do
I'll you a funny story and a fact I promise, too
That I was ever a man, not a one of you would think
But, I was some four of five years - say, give us another drink.
"Fill her up, Joe, I want to put some life into my
Such little drinks, to a bum like me, are tame
Five fingers - there, that's the - and corkin' whisky, too
Well, here's luck, and landlord, my best regards to you.
"You've treated me pretty and I'd like to tell you how
I came to be the sot you see before you now
As I told you once, I was a man a muscle, frame and health
And, but for a blunder, ought to have considerable wealth.
"I was a - not one that daubed on bricks and wood
But an artist and for my age, was rated good
I hard at my canvas and I was bidding fair to rise
'Coz gradually I saw the star of fame my eyes.
"I made a perhaps you've seen, 'tis called the 'CHASE OF FAME'
It me fifteen hundred pounds and added to my name
And then I met a woman - now comes the part
With eyes that my brain and sunk into my heart.
"Why don't you it's funny that the vagabond you see
Could ever love a woman and her love for me
But 'twas so, and for a month or two, her smiles were freely
And when her loving touched mine it carried me to heaven.
"Boys, did you see a girl for whom your soul you'd give
With a like the Milo Venus, too beautiful to live
With eyes like the purest of diamonds and a wealth of hair?
If so, she, for there never was another half so fair.
"I was working on a one afternoon in May
Of a fair-haired boy, a friend of mine, who lived the way
And Madeline it and much to my surprise
Said like to know the man that had such dreamy eyes.
"It didn't take to know him and before the month had flown
My had stole my darlin' and I was left alone
And ere a year of misery had above my head
The jewel that I had treasured so, had and was dead.
"That's why I took to drink, - why, I never saw you smile
I thought you'd be amused and all the while
Why, what's the matter - friend? There's a in your eye
Come, laugh like me; why only babes and women that would cry.
"Say, boys, if you'd give me just another whiskey, I'll really be
And I'll draw right here a picture of the that drove me mad
Give me that piece of chalk which you mark the baseball score
And you see the lovely Madeline upon the barroom floor."
Another drink and with in hand the vagabond began
To sketch a face that well might buy the of any man
And as he placed another lock upon the shapely head
With a fearful shriek, he and fell across the picture - dead.