“I Walk the Road Again”
Description
The singer is "a poor unlucky chap" and "very fond of rum." He has rambled far and wide, taking odd jobs here and there. Whenever things go bad, "I got up and hoisted my turkey and I walked the road again." (Now he hopes to find a job and settle down.)
Supplemental text
I Walk the Road Again
Partial text(s)
*** A ***
From Norman Cazden, Herbert Haufrecht, Norman Studer, Folk Songs
of the Catskills, #178, pp. 642-643. As sung by George Edwards.
I am a poor unlucky chap, I'm very fond of rum,
I walk the road from morn till night, I ain't ashamed to bum;
My feet being sore, my clothes being tore, but still I didn't complain,
I got up and I hoisted my turkey and I walked the road again.
Refrain:
I walked the road again, my boys, I walked the road again,
If the weather be fair, I combed my hair and I walked the road again.
(4 additional stanzas)
Notes
Cazden, early in his career, attributed this to the father of his informant George Edwards (who probably did adapt the text somewhat), but later retracted the claim. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "From Ogemaw" (floating lyrics)
- cf. "The Feeing Time (II)" (floating lyrics)
References
- FSCatskills 178, "I Walk the Road Again" (1 text, 1 tune)
- ST FSC178 (Partial)
- Roud #4602
- BI, FSC178