Charlie On the MTA
Let me tell you the story
Of a man named Charlie
On a tragic and fateful day
He put ten cents in his pocket,
Kissed his wife and family
Went to ride on the MTA Charlie handed in his dime
At the Kendall Square Station
And he changed for Jamaica Plain
When he got there the conductor told him,
"One more nickel."
Charlie could not get off that train.
Chorus:
Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unlearn'd
He may ride forever
'neath the streets of Boston
He's the man who never returned.
Now all night long
Charlie rides through the tunnels
the station
Saying, "What will become of me?
Crying How can I afford to see
My sister in Chelsea
Or my cousin in Roxbury?"
Charlie's wife goes down
To the Scollay Square station
Every day at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands Charlie a sandwich
As the train comes rumblin' through.
As his train rolled on
underneath Greater Boston
Charlie looked around and sighed:
"Well, I'm sore and disgusted
And I'm absolutely busted;
I guess this is my last long ride."
Now you citizens of Boston,
Don't you think it's a scandal
That the people have to pay and pay
Vote for Walter A. O'Brien
Fight the fare increase!
And fight the fare increase
Vote for George O'Brien!
Get poor Charlie off the MTA.
Chorus: Or else he'll never return, No he'll never return
And his fate will be unlearned
He may ride forever
'neath the streets of Boston
He's the man (Who's the man)
He's the man who never returned.
He's the man (Oh, the man)
He's the man who never returned.
He's the man who never returned.
And then as an Auburn fan, my all-time favorite is
The Birmingham Bear Chase.
'Twas on November 29th
Ole Jordan blew his horn,
He loaded up his gun for Bear
And he left that Saturday morn
He called upon his boys in blue, the finest in the land
And on that day the made their way
To the town of Birmingham.
Birmingham, Birmingham
War damn Eagle, damn,
When we get there, we're gonna chase that Bear
All over Birmingham.
Great one!
I grew up with the Kingston Trio.... My dad had their album, and "The Brothers Four" who were very similar
Heh...and several other songs to the same tune are great ballads!
The Ship That Never Returned
1. On a summer's day,
When the wave was rippled
By the softest gentlest breeze,
Did a ship set sail
With a cargo laden
For a port beyond the seas.
There were sweet farewells
There were loving signals
While a form was yet discerned;
Though they knew it not,
'twas a solemn parting
For the ship, she never returned.
Chorus:
Did she never return?
She never returned,
Her fate, it is yet unlearned,
Though for years and years
There were fond ones watching,
Yet the ship she never returned.
2. Said a feeble lad
To his anxious mother,
" I must cross the wide, wide sea,
For they say, perchance
In a foreign climate,
There is health and strength for me."
'Twas a gleam of hope
In a maze of danger
And her heart for her youngest yearned,
Yet she sent him forth
With a smile and blessing
On the ship that never returned.
Chorus:
3. "Only one more trip",
Said a gallant seaman,
As he kissed his weeping wife,
Only one more purse
Of that golden treasure
And 'twill last us all through life.
Then I'll spend my days
In my cozy cottage
And enjoy the rest I've earned;
But alas! poor man!
For he sail'd commander
Of the ship that never returned.
Chorus:
The Wreck of the Old '97
Well they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia,
Said: "Steve, you're way behind time,
"This is not 38, this is Ol' 97,
"Put her into Spencer on time."
Then he turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman,
"Shovel on a little more coal.
"And when we cross that White Oak mountain,
"Watch Ol' '97 roll."
And then a telegram come from Washington station,
This is how it read:
"Oh that brave engineer that run ol 97,
"Is lyin in old Danville dead."
'Cos he was going down a grade making 90 miles an hour,
The whistle broke into a scream.
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle,
Scalded to death by the steam.
Oh, now all you ladies you'd better take a warning,
From this time on and learn.
Never speak hard words to your true-lovin' husband.
He may leave you and never return.