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Artist/Band: Hank Snow
Lyrics for Song: The Hobo's Last Ride
Lyrics for Album: Wanderin' On - The Best of the Yodeling Ranger [Be [2003]



(Ted Daffan - Robert Holcomb)



In the Dodge City yards of the Santa Fe

Stood a freight made up for the east

And the engineer with his oil and waste

Was grooming the great iron beast.



While ten cars back in the murky dust

A boxcar door swung wide

And a hobo lifted his pal aboard

To start on his last long ride.



A lantern swung and the freight pulled out

The engine it gathered speed

The engineer pulled the throttle wide

And clucked to his fiery steed.



Ten cars back in the empty box

The hobo rolled a pill

The flare of the match showed his partner's face

Stark white and deathly still.



As the train wheels clicked on the coupling joints

A song for the rambler's ear

The hobo talked to the still white form

His pal for many a year.



For a mighty long time we've rambled Jack

With the luck of men that roam

With the backdoor steps for a dining room

And a boxcar for a home.



We dodged the bulls on the Eastern route

And the cops on the Chesapeake

We traveled the Leadville narrow gauge

In the days of Cripple Creek.



We drifted down through sunny Cal

On the rails of the old SP

And of all you had through good and bad

A half always belonged to me.



You made me promise to you Jack

If I lived and you cashed in

To take you back to the old churchyard

And bury you there with your kin.



You seemed to know I would keep my word

For you said that I was right

Well, I'm keepin' my promise to you pal

'Cause I'm takin' you home tonight.



I hadn't the money to send you there

So I'm takin' you back on the fly

It's the decent way for a 'bo to go home

To the by and by.



I knew that that fever got you Jack

And the doctor he just wouldn't come

He was too busy treatin' wealthy folks

To doctor a worn out bum.



As the train rolled over its ribbons of steel

Straight to the east it sped

The engineer in his highcab seat

Kept his eyes on the rails ahead.



While ten cars back in the empty box

A lonely hobo sighed

For the days of old and his pal so cold

Who was taking his last long ride...


The Hobo's Last Ride

Hank Snow's 'The Hobo's Last Ride' stands as a quintessential example of his mastery of the yodeling style, blending rustic storytelling with melodic sophistication. Recorded for the compilation 'Wanderin' On - The Best of the Yodeling Ranger,' this track exemplifies Snow's ability to craft narratives that resonate with themes of transience and the open road. The song's structure, featuring a distinct yodel that punctuates the verses, showcases the technical skill and emotional depth characteristic of his work during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It remains a staple in discussions of country music's evolution, highlighting how Snow elevated the genre through his unique vocal approach and lyrical focus on everyday life.


Album Lyrics: Wanderin' On - The Best of the Yodeling Ranger [Be [2003]


Hank Snow
"Wanderin' On - The Best of the Yodeling Ranger [Be [2003]"


1. Brand on My Heart
2. Galveston Rose
3. Broken Wedding Ring
4. On That Old Hawaiian Shore With You
5. I Knew That We'd Meet Again
6. My Mother
7. Wanderin' On
8. My Filipino Rose
9. Just a Faded Petal from a Beautiful Bouquet
10. Let's Pretend
11. Prisoned Cowboy
12. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
13. Answer to the Blue Velvet Band
14. The Hobo's Last Ride
15. There's a Picture on Pinto's Bridle
16. Journey My Baby Back Home