Only A Hobo
Farewell to the Forgotten: Rod Stewart's Poignant Tale of Life's Hardships
Lyrics
As I was out walking on the corner one day
Describing a moment when the singer saw a homeless person while walking.
I spied an old hobo, in the doorway he lay
The homeless person was lying in a doorway.
His face was all covered in the cold sidewalk floor
The homeless person's face was on the cold sidewalk.
I guess he'd been there for a whole night or more
Suggests the person might have been there for a whole night or longer.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Emphasizes the insignificance of the homeless person as just one more gone.
Leaving nobody to carry it on
No one left behind to continue the homeless person's story or legacy.
Leaving nobody to sing his sad song
There's no one to sing or mourn the sad life of the homeless person.
Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiterating the homeless person's insignificance.
A blanket of newspaper covered his head
Describing the homeless person's makeshift blanket made of newspapers.
The step was his pillow
Details the step as the homeless person's pillow.
The street was his bed
Clarifies that the street served as the homeless person's bed.
One look at his face
His face showed the hardships he'd faced in life.
Showed the hard road he'd come
Implies the difficult journey the homeless person had experienced.
And a fistful of money
He had a small amount of money, likely collected as charity.
Showed the coins that he'd bummed
Shows the coins he had begged for.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiterates the insignificance of the homeless person as just one more gone.
Leavin' nobody to sing his sad song
No one to continue his story or mourn his life.
Leavin' nobody to carry it on
No one to carry on the memory or legacy of the homeless person.
Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiteration of the insignificance of the homeless person.
Does it take much of a man
Questioning the empathy required to witness a life spiraling downwards.
To see a whole life go down
Reflecting on observing someone's entire life collapse.
To look on the world
Viewing the world from the perspective of someone in dire circumstances.
From a hole in the ground
Metaphorically seeing the world from a disadvantaged position.
Too late for your future
Too late for any hope for a better future, like a disabled horse.
Like a horse that's gone lame
Being stuck in a situation with no prospect of improvement.
To lie in the gutter
Metaphorically lying in the worst possible condition and dying anonymously.
And die with no name
Dying without anyone to remember or know their name.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiterating the insignificance of the homeless person.
Leavin' nobody to sing his sad song
No one to continue his story or mourn his life.
Leavin' nobody to carry it on
No one to carry on the memory or legacy of the homeless person.
Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiteration of the insignificance of the homeless person.
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