10. PICK AND SHOVEL

PICK & SHOVEL

Once I knew this brown skin girl,
half Cherokee,
she rode the painted pony round the barrel,
she thought the world of me, (lord, lord, lord)
she thought the world of me.

Once I knew this Gypsy girl,
her mama read palms and tea,
but they sent her away,
off to Virginia,
they didn’t want her seeing me
no, no, no
not with the likes of me.

Push that shovel, swing that pick,
work yourself out of a job if you move to quick,
swing that pick and lift that shovel,
the boss comes around
you’ve got to do it on the double.

Then I went to California,
my fortune for to chase,
but somebody got there before me,
they were laughin’ in my face (lord, lord, lord)
laughin’ in my face.

And they hand me this pick and shovel,
they say, “I guess you think that you’re pretty strong,
so dig it five inches wide, fourteen inches deep,
fourteen miles long (lord, lord, lord)
fourteen miles long.

Push that shovel, swing that pick,
half my life on the working end of a muck stick.
Swing that pick and work that shovel,
one half toil and the other half trouble.

Pick and Shovel all day long,
I see dirt in my dreams,
Pick and Shovel all day long,
a man’s mind will turn on many things,
a man’s mind might turn on all manner of things.

like,

Once I knew this brown skin girl,
half Cherokee,
she rode the painted pony round the barrel,
she thought the world of me, (lord, lord, lord)
she thought the world of me.
she thought the world of me, (lord, lord, lord)
she thought the world of me.