In the Dodge City Yards of the Santa Fe

Stood a freight made up for the east

And the engineer with his oil and waste

Was groomin' the great iron beast

While ten cars back in the murky dust

A boxcar door swung wide

And a hobo lifted his pal aboard

To start on his last long ride



A lantern swung and the freight pulled out

The engine, it gathered speed

The engineer pulled the throttle wide

And clucked to his fiery steed



Ten cars back in the empty box

The hobo rolled uphill

The flare of the match showed his partner's face

Stark white and deathly still

As the train wheels clicked on the couplin' joints

A song for the rambler's ear

The hobo talked to the still white form

His pal for many a year



(Spoken)

For a mighty long time, we've rambled, Jack

With the luck of men that roam

With the backdoor steps for a dining room

And a boxcar for a home

We dodged the bulls on the Eastern route

And the cops on the Chesapeake

We travelled the Leadville narrow gauge

In the days of Cripple Creek

We drifted down thru sunny Cal

On the rails of that old S. P.

And of all you had, thru good and bad

A half always belonged to me

You made me promise to you Jack

If I lived, and you cashed in

To take you back to the old church yard

And bury you there with your kin

You seemed to know I would keep my word

'Cause you said that I was right

Well, I'm keepin' my promise to you, pal

'Cause I'm takin' you home tonight

I haven't the money to send you there

So, I'm takin' you back on the fly

It's the decent way for a 'bo to go

Home to the by and by

I knew that that fever had you, Jack

And that doctor, he just wouldn't come

He was too busy treatin' the wealthy folks

To doctor a worn-out bum



As the train rolled over its ribbons of steel

Straight thru to the East it sped

The engineer in his high cab seat

Kept his eye on the rails ahead

While ten cars back in the empty box

A lonely hobo sighed

For the days of old and his pal, so cold

Who was takin' his last long ride