Tramp, Tramp, Tramp: Lyrics

Joe Hill

• LP Songs of the Open Road
• CD Don't Mourn, Organize

If you all will shut your trap,
I will tell you 'bout a chap,
Who was broke and up against it, too, for fair;
He was not the kind that shirk,
He was looking hard for work,
And he heard the same old story everywhere.

Chorus:
Tramp, tramp, tramp, keep on a-tramping,
There's nothing doing here for you;
If I catch you 'round again,
You will wear the ball and chain.
So just keep on tramping,  the best thing you can do.

He walked up and down the street,
'Till the shoes fell off his feet.
In a house he spied a lady making stew,
And he said, "How do you do,
May I chop some wood for you?"
What the lady told him made him feel so blue.

She said...
Chorus:

'Cross the street a sign he read,
"Work for Jesus," so it said,
And he said, "Here is my chance, I'll surely try,"
And he kneelt upon the floor,
'Till his knees got mighty sore,
But at eating-time he heard the preacher cry-

Chorus:

Down the street he met a cop,
And the copper made him stop,
And he asked him, "When did you blow into town?
Come with me up to the judge."
But the judge he said, "Oh fudge,
Bums that have no money needn't come around."

So it's...
Chorus:

Finally came that happy day
When his life did pass away,
He was sure to go to heaven when he died,
When he reached that pearly gate,
Santa Peter, mean old skate,
Slammed the gate right in his face and loudly cried:

Chorus:

In despair he went to hell
With the devil for to dwell,
For the reason he'd no other place to go.
And he said "I'm full of sin
So for Christ's sake let me in."
But the devil said "Oh beat it, you're a 'bo"

Chorus:

Yes it's....
Repeat chorus:

Of note:

Read about Joe Hill.

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