This version overlaps with the one in Lomax but there are some small differences: From SONGS OF THE RANCH AND RANGE, ©1932 Paull-Pioneer Music Corp., NYC The Days of Forty-Nine You are gazing now at old Tom Moore, A relic of bygone days; Tis a bummer now they call me, But what cares I for praise! It’s oft, says I, for days gone by, It’s oft I do repine, For the days of old, when we dug out the gold, In those days of Forty-Nine. My comrades all, they loved me well, The saucy, jolly crew; A few hard cases I’ll admit, Though they were brave and true; What e’er the pinch, they ne’er would flinch; They ne’er would fret nor whine; Like good old bricks they stood the kicks, In the days of Forty-Nine. Refrain: Like good old bricks they stood the kicks, In the days of Forty-Nine. There’s old “Aunt Jess” that hard old cuss, Who never would repent; He never missed a single meal, And never paid a cent; But old “Aunt Jess” like all the rest, At death he did resign, And in his bloom went up the flume, In the days of Forty-Nine. (REF) There is Ragshag Jim, the roaring man Who could out-roar a buffalo, you bet; He roared all day and he roared all night, And I guess he’s roaring yet; One night Jim fell in a prospect hole; ‘Twas a roaring bad design, And in that hole roared out his soul, In the days of Forty-Nine. (REF) There is Wylie Bill, the funny man, Who was full of funny tricks, When he was in a poker game, He was always hard as bricks; He would ante you a stud, he would play you a draw, He would go you a hatful blind; In a struggle with death Bill lost his breath, In the days of Forty-Nine (REF) There was New York Jake, the butcher boy, Who was fond of getting tight; And every time he got on a spree He was spoiling for a fight; One night Jake rampaged against a knife In the hands of old Bob Sine, And over Jake they held a wake, In the days of Forty-Nine. (REF) There was Monte Pete, I’ll ne’er forget, The luck he always had; He would deal for you both day and night Or as long as he had a scad; ‘Twas a pistol shot that laid Pete out, It was his last resign, And it caught Pete dead sure in the door, In the days of Forty-Nine. (REF) Of all the comrades that I’ve had There’s none that’s left to boast, And I’m left alone in my misery Like some poor wandering ghost; And as I pass from town to town, They call me the rambling sign, Since the days of old, and the days of gold, And the days of Forty-Nine.
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