The Last Ride Lyrics - Hank Snow

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 a pill 

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