In the City Yards of the Santa Fe a freight made up for the east And the engineer with his oil and Was groomin' the great iron While ten cars back in the murky A boxcar swung wide And a hobo lifted his pal To start on his last ride
A lantern swung and the freight out The engine, it gathered The engineer the throttle wide And clucked to his steed
Ten cars back in the box The hobo a pill The flare of the showed his partner's face Stark white and deathly As the train wheels clicked on the joints A for the rambler's ear The hobo to the still white form His pal for a year
(Spoken) For a mighty time, we've rambled, Jack With the of men that roam With the backdoor steps for a dining And a for a home We the bulls on the Eastern route And the cops on the We travelled the Leadville narrow In the of Cripple Creek We drifted down thru Cal On the of that old S. P. And of all you had, thru and bad A half belonged to me You me promise to you Jack If I lived, and you in To you back to the old church yard And bury you with your kin You seemed to know I would my word 'Cause you said that I was Well, I'm my promise to you, pal 'Cause I'm you home tonight I the money to send you there So, I'm takin' you on the fly the decent way for a 'bo to go to the by and by I that that fever had you, Jack And that doctor, he wouldn't come He was too busy treatin' the folks To a worn-out bum
As the train rolled its ribbons of steel Straight thru to the it sped The engineer in his high cab his eye on the rails ahead While ten cars in the empty box A lonely hobo For the of old and his pal, so cold Who was takin' his long ride