Raquette River Rounders - Charlie Watkins lyrics

My name is Charlie Watkins Chicago I was born Pardon my sour expression My sense of humor's worn I've been out on this highway Which is all that I call mine Ever since the Great Depression hit In nineteen twenty nine My mother died of Polio My daddy he hit the road They put me in a home for boys And I lived on the dole But food and shelters not enough A hobo's heart to feed The age of twelve, first chance I got I followed my daddy's lead I worked in bars and lumber yards And God's green fields of fruit All for some food and a place to lie down In a salvation army suit I never found it in my heart To stay in one play to long Some march to different drummers I heard a ramblin' song I worked for a while in a factory In some Wisconsin town And there I met a woman Woulda had me settle down I told her and myself that I'd be back When I'd lived and loved and learned But forty years went by so fast I never did return Now the trains are running fast And me, I'm running slow And the cops won't let you bum a ride On their million dollar road Folks like to remember when men were free They call it "the good old days" But they've no patience with a man Whose lived his life that way My name is Charlie Watkins Chicago I was born Pardon my sour expression But my sense of humor's worn I've been out on this highway Which is all that I call mine Ever since the Great Depression hit In nineteen twenty nine