UNCLE MURREL WAS A SONG WRITER

THE DEPRESSION HOBO

BY:

MURREL WHITE

RAMSEY KEARNEY

WILL GENTRY

1.
GATHER ‘ROUND, MY FRIENDS, AND A STORY I WILL TELL
OF THE DEPRESSION AND MY FATHER; BOTH I KNOW SO WELL.
MY FATHER WAS A GOOD MAN; I’D OFTEN HEAR HIM PRAY
HE WOULD LOOK UP TO HEAVEN; THEN I WOULD HEAR HIM SAY

(CHO-1)
“THANK GOD FOR THE FREIGHT TRAINS AND THEIR GALLANT MEN
THEY'D LEAVE A CAR DOOR OPEN AND WOULD SLOW DOWN ON A BEND
BECAUSE THEY ALL KNEW WHEN THEY MADE THEIR RUN;
THEY’D PICK UP TEN DESPERATE MEN; FOR EACH ONE HOBO BUM!”

2.
MY FATHER WOULD RIDE A CIRCLE OVER OUR AMERICAN LAND
WOULD RIDE THE RAILS TO ANYWHERE WHERE THEY MIGHT USE A HAND
IN THE WEST HE’D START THE HARVEST AND WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH IT ALL
THEN BACK TO THE SOUTHLAND AND PICK COTTON IN THE FALL

3.
EVERY TIME A JOB WAS FINISHED AND BEFORE HE’D BE GONE
HE WOULD WRITE A LETTER AND WOULD SEND HIS MONEY HOME
MY MOTHER WOULD SPEND A LITTLE; THE REST SHE’D PUT AWAY
DURING THE HARD TIMES OF DEPRESSION, I WOULD OFTEN HEAR HER SAY:

(TO CHO-1)

4.
BEING A DEPRESSION HOBO MAY BE SOMETHING WE DON’T UNDERSTAND
MY MOTHER AND FATHER DID SAVE ENOUGH TO BUY A LITTLE LAND
PEOPLE WOULD ASK MY FATHER JUST HOW DID YOU MAKE YOUR WAY
TEARS WOULD COME TO HIS EYES, THEN YOU WOULD HEAR HIM SAY:

(TO CHO-1)

5.
I AM PROUD OF MY FATHER AND FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE
HE WAS A DEPRESSION HOBO, BUT HE SURE WAS NOT A BUM
DON’T RUND DOWN THE RAILROADS WHENEVER HE’D BE NEAR
IF YOU PAID CLOSE ATTENTION, THIS IS WHAT YOU’D HEAR

(TO CHO-1)

The lyrics were written by Uncle Murrel. He had Will Gentry play the music and performed by Ramsey Kearney. http://www.ramseykearney.com/