Home Came The Old Man- Seattle Bill (WA) 1927 Finger
[My title. This was collected aboard a ship moored in Patagonia, a region located at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile. I'm assume since it was sung by Seattle Bill, that the origin would be Washington State.]
FRONTIER BALLADS- by Charles J. Finger 1927
Our Goodman, which was chanted by Seattle Bill to the same tune as Lively Tinker, a song to be heard in cow-country, in Maine woods, and on shipboard!
HOME CAME THE OLD MAN (OUR GOODMAN)- Seattle Bill pre-1927
1. Home came the old man and home came he,
And there in the parlour a strange coat did see.
"O wife, now tell me what does this mean?
A coat that's not mine where no coat has been?"
2. "You old fool, bat-blind fool, look straight and you'll see
'Tis naught but a blanket my mother sent me!"
"Miles have travelled, five hundred or more,
But buttons on a blanket I never yet saw."
3. Home came the old man, and home came he,
And there in the kitchen a strange gun did see.
"O wife, now you tell me what does this mean?
A gun I don't own where my own should have been?"
4. "You old fool, bat-blind fool, look straight and you'll see
It's only a stout stick my mother sent me."
"Now miles have I travelild, five hundred or more
But gun like an ash stick I never yet saw."
5. Home came the old man, and home came he,
And there in the stable a roan horse did see,
"O wife, now you must tell me what does this mean?
A sprightly roan horse where my mare should have been? "
6. "You old fool, bat-blind fool, and can you not see
The creature's a milk cow my mother sent me?"
"Now miles have I travelled, five hundred and more,
But shoes on a milk cow were never before!"
7. Home came the old man, and home came he,
And there in his bedroom a strange face did see.
"O wife, you must tell me now what does this mean,
Another man's face where my own should have been?"
8. "You old fool, bat-blind fool, and can you not se
'Tis naught but a baby my mother sent me."
"Now miles have I travelled, five hundred or more,
But whiskers on babies I ne'er saw before!"