In the Dodge Yards of the Santa Fe Stood a made up for the east And the engineer with his oil and Was groomin' the iron beast While ten back in the murky dust A boxcar swung wide And a lifted his pal aboard To start on his last long
A lantern swung and the pulled out The engine, it speed The engineer pulled the wide And clucked to his steed
Ten back in the empty box The hobo rolled a The flare of the match his partner's face white and deathly still As the train wheels on the couplin' joints A for the rambler's ear The hobo talked to the still form His pal for many a
(Spoken) For a long time, we've rambled, Jack With the of men that roam With the backdoor steps for a room And a boxcar for a We dodged the bulls on the Eastern 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, good and bad A half belonged to me You made me to you Jack If I lived, and you in To take you back to the old yard And bury you with your kin You seemed to know I keep my word 'Cause you that I was right Well, I'm my promise to you, pal 'Cause I'm takin' you tonight I haven't the to send you there So, I'm you back on the fly It's the way for a 'bo to go to the by and by I knew that fever had you, Jack And that doctor, he wouldn't come He was too treatin' the wealthy folks To doctor a bum
As the train rolled over its ribbons of Straight thru to the East it The engineer in his high cab his eye on the rails ahead While ten back in the empty box A hobo sighed For the days of old and his pal, so Who was takin' his last ride