Here is the real lyrics. Recorded on "Man In Black" LP from 1971.
ORPHAN OF THE ROAD
(Dick Feller)
« © '71 Cyberphonic Publishing, BMI »
From a carnie show and a rodeo that shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carnie queen
In new spring nights amid the lights of the painted carnie van
They laughed and loved and shared short lived dreams
But the carnie show and the rodeo went their separate ways
And the carnie season bloomed and soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark eyed carnie queen
The too-late-son of somethin' that was gone
The blacksheep child that grew up wild
From the seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire an orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mama died of a chill that closed her eyes
So I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name too wild to tame no one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
In dingy bars and cold boxcars hobo jungle camps
I joined the men who drift from town to town
The surgin' flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
The blacksheep child that grew up wild...
In the misty rain I caught the train that slowed down through the town
And I pulled myself into the boxcar door
In a passing light in the deep grey night I saw the still dark form
Of an old man lyin' sick upon the floor
And he said I tried to find her but they told me that she'd died
And that she'd left an only son behind
And I tried to find him but I never did but I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I die
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickerin' flame
Then I held it close and I gently raised his head
My mother sir I said of her I have her same dark eyes
He smiled a cowboy smile then was dead
The blacksheep child that grew up wild...
**********
This is one of those ballad songs that made Johnny Cash such a great artist. I think that Man In Black was my dad's favorite album for awhile, at least. I must have heard it a lot.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
How my mind works
I was laying in bed last night, late, when a lyric floated thru my brain...
"...from a chill that closed her eyes..."
I thought about it for a bit, trying to recall who sang it, and what the rest of the words were. I got a few more words after a minute,
"and I was left to grow up on my own"
...when I identified it as a Johnny Cash song, one I have not heard or thought of for 30 years, at least. Here it is, as I remember it, without having checked any lyric sites.
Orphan Of The Road by Johnny Cash
The carny show and the rodeo shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carny queen
....
They laughed and loved and shared short-lived dreams
But the carny show and the rodeo went their separate ways
..... ... soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark-eyed carny queen
The too-late son of something that was gone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mother died of a chill that closed her eyes
And I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name, too wild to tame, and no-one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
.... and old boxcars, hobo ... camps
And I was left to drift from town to town
A surging flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
-I don't remember how he arrives there, but he finds an old cowboy dying in a boxcar, saying this.
He said "I tried to find her, but they told me that she died
And that she'd left an only son behind
I tried to find him, but I never did,
But I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I died."
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickering flame
And I held it close as I gently raised his head
"My mother, sir," I said of her, "I have her same dark eyes"
He smiled, the cowboy smiled, then was dead.
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
Some people can remember numbers; I can remember lyrics. Now I will go and check the lyric sites, to see how I did.
"...from a chill that closed her eyes..."
I thought about it for a bit, trying to recall who sang it, and what the rest of the words were. I got a few more words after a minute,
"and I was left to grow up on my own"
...when I identified it as a Johnny Cash song, one I have not heard or thought of for 30 years, at least. Here it is, as I remember it, without having checked any lyric sites.
Orphan Of The Road by Johnny Cash
The carny show and the rodeo shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carny queen
....
They laughed and loved and shared short-lived dreams
But the carny show and the rodeo went their separate ways
..... ... soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark-eyed carny queen
The too-late son of something that was gone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mother died of a chill that closed her eyes
And I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name, too wild to tame, and no-one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
.... and old boxcars, hobo ... camps
And I was left to drift from town to town
A surging flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
-I don't remember how he arrives there, but he finds an old cowboy dying in a boxcar, saying this.
He said "I tried to find her, but they told me that she died
And that she'd left an only son behind
I tried to find him, but I never did,
But I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I died."
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickering flame
And I held it close as I gently raised his head
"My mother, sir," I said of her, "I have her same dark eyes"
He smiled, the cowboy smiled, then was dead.
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
Some people can remember numbers; I can remember lyrics. Now I will go and check the lyric sites, to see how I did.
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