On the Gundagai Line - Railway Bum Ballad

A song by Tex Moreton

I was riding one time on the Gundagai line
On a dirty and noisy old freight,
With my bed on the floor and a pillow of straw.
When somebody slammed on the brake.

At the rear of the train, in the sleet and the rain,
In the light of the red lantern’s glow,
I spied a young hobo, he lay there in pain.
It was plain he was fast sinking low.

As I knelt by his side he opened his eyes,
And bravely he smiled up at me,
He said, "Now it’s time I must ride my last line,
So do me a favour now please."

He drew forth in pain a locket and chain;
"My mother will know this." he said.
And we slowly stood back, as we took off our hats,
We could all see the hobo was dead.

By some trick of fate I arrived home too late,
For the old white haired lady was gone;
So I dropped in the grave the locket he gave
To show that he too had passed on.

3 comments:

Stephen Smith said...

There are quite a few lines missing here "the big engineer brushed away a stray tear" for example / This song was sung to me by my father as a small child

swaggies said...

Thanks Stephen

if you can remember more please send the words and we'll include them

Unknown said...

He removed then with pain a little locket and chain and said do me a favour pal please my Mother will know its from me

Then the big engineer brushed away a stray tear and felt the young travelers head.
Then he took off his cap and slowly stepped back and we all knew the hobo was dead.

By a strange trick of fate I arrived there too late and his silver head Mother was dead.
So I droped in the grave the little locket he gave saying hoping she'd know its from he.
Though buried apart I know deep in my heart they're together in heaven above