Iv'e been ridin' these rails
for many a year with sleepless
nights with a bottle of beer
with this old guitar strummin'
to the wind
They call me the hobo of the
Southern Line and that womanizing
raskel but I don't mind cause I've
got nine lives and I've used up all
but one
There must be a woman in every town
that loved me to death or knocked
me down, and I'd always walk away with
a stratch or two
If her boyfriend didn't whip me her
daddy would so I'd keep on movin' like
a hobo should cause sixteen teeth and
one eye won't get me far
Iv'e slept in a pasture with an old brown
cow and even drank from a horses trowl
and the farmers daughter would hide me
in the hay
She'd steal a vest from her daddy's chest
and take me to church so I'd look my best,
and I knew I had one life to live so I'd
better pray
Well the preacher stood up in his long black
coat and looked at me like I was a joke, and
I knew he was gonna try to make me walk the
line
Sweat was pouring down his head and he looked
at me like I was dead and said, 'Son this is
the end of the line..'
'Now you come here in that fancy vest and put
my patience to the test, but I'm here to tell
you a thing or two
I've preached many a sermon and you might be
the mangiest vermin that ever stepped foot
inside this town
The farmers daughter can't help you now cause
everyone knows you're on the prowl and you
need to come up here and confess your sins
Well.. I got all red faced and swallowed my
spit cause I knew I'd better confess or split
so I humbly stood up and offered my speech
I said,'Surely paster I'm a rolling diaster
and I ain't no angel I admit
I've been ridin' the rail on the way to hell
and I ain't gonna change one bit
So you can stand there in your long black suit
cause in a minute or two I'm gonna scoot-me
and the farmers daughter are gonna blow town
And when our babies are born we'll remember
your scorn cause I'm the slickest hobo around~'