As I went walking down Peacock Street,
No clothes on my back, no shoes on my feet,
I was hungry and cold, it was late in the fall
I knocked down some old big shot, took his clothes, money and all.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
When I took everything this old bigshot had,
They called me a robber, yes, they called me bad.
They called me a robber, yes, they called me bad,
Because misery and starvation drove me mad.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
They locked me up for a year and a day,
For taking that old big shot's money away.
Now they turned me out about an hour ago
To walk the streets in the rain and in the snow.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
No clothes on my back, no food to eat.
Now a man can't live just walkin' the street
I'd no money for roomrent, no place to sleep,
Now a man can't live by just walking the street.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
Now, a man can't live by just walking the street,
I'll be sorry to my heart if I have to repeat.
If I knocked down some old big shot and take all his kale,
Then they'll put me back in that lousy jail.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
No clothes on my back, no shoes on my feet,
I was hungry and cold, it was late in the fall
I knocked down some old big shot, took his clothes, money and all.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
When I took everything this old bigshot had,
They called me a robber, yes, they called me bad.
They called me a robber, yes, they called me bad,
Because misery and starvation drove me mad.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
They locked me up for a year and a day,
For taking that old big shot's money away.
Now they turned me out about an hour ago
To walk the streets in the rain and in the snow.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
No clothes on my back, no food to eat.
Now a man can't live just walkin' the street
I'd no money for roomrent, no place to sleep,
Now a man can't live by just walking the street.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
Now, a man can't live by just walking the street,
I'll be sorry to my heart if I have to repeat.
If I knocked down some old big shot and take all his kale,
Then they'll put me back in that lousy jail.
O tell me how long must I wait for a job?
I don't like to steal, I don't like to rob.
Contributed by Bartleby - 2011/3/25 - 13:52
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Sulla melodia della popolare “Cumberland Gap”
Testo trovato su Mudcat Café
Dal volume “Hard Hitting Songs for Hard-Hit People”, realizzato da Alan Lomax, Woody Guthrie e Pete Seeger tra il 1940 ed il 1967, anno della sua definitiva pubblicazione.
Probabilmente “Crossbone Skully” (quello dal teschio con le ossa incrociate) è il soprannome del disperato protagonista della canzone, sarà stato un tatuaggio o sarà stato che era ridotto tutto pelle ed ossa dalla fame…
La canzone è stata interpretata anche da Peggy Seeger con il titolo "Peacock Street".