Only a Hobo
Reflections of Forgotten Lives: Tribute to the Hobo's Journey
Lyrics
As I was out walking on a corner one day
Reflecting on a day while walking, witnessing an old hobo in a doorway.
I spied an old hobo, in a doorway he lay
The hobo is lying in a doorway, suggesting a homeless and destitute situation.
His face was all grounded in the cold sidewalk floor
The hobo's face is pressed against the cold sidewalk, emphasizing his harsh living conditions.
And I guess he'd been there for the whole night or more
Indicates that the hobo has been in that spot for a considerable time, possibly overnight.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiterates the hobo's status, emphasizing that another individual in such circumstances has passed away.
Leaving nobody to sing his sad song
Expresses the solitude of the hobo's life by highlighting that there is no one to sing his sad song.
Leaving nobody to carry him home
Underlines the absence of someone to give the hobo a proper farewell or burial.
He was only, but one more is gone (one cord for a while)
(The inclusion of "one cord for a while" may suggest a musical pause or instrumental break.)
Now listing here, a blanket of newspaper covered his head
Describes the hobo's makeshift bed with a blanket of newspaper covering his head.
As the step was his pillow, the street was his bed
Emphasizes the dire conditions by mentioning the step as a pillow and the street as a bed.
One look at his face showed the hard road he'd come (yes it did)
Observes the visible signs of a challenging life on the hobo's face.
(Anybody could tell)
(Acknowledges that anyone could recognize the hardships the hobo endured.)
And a fistful of coins showed the money he bummed
Notes a small amount of money the hobo managed to collect by begging.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Repeats the notion that the hobo, despite being only a hobo, has passed away.
Leaving nobody to sing his sad song
Reiterates the loneliness of the hobo's death, as there is no one to mourn or sing for him.
Leaving nobody to carry him home
Highlights the lack of support or assistance for the hobo, leaving him uncared for even in death.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Repeats the idea of the hobo's passing, emphasizing the transient nature of life for such individuals.
(Play the thing now)
(Suggests a musical interlude or instrumental moment in the song.)
Does it take much of a man to see his whole life go down
Ponders whether it takes much for a person to witness their life crumbling away.
A women or a girl or anyone in the world
Expands the contemplation to include the perspectives of women, girls, or anyone in the world.
To look up on the world from a hole in the ground
Imagines viewing the world from a position of disadvantage or despair.
To wait for your future like a horse that's gone lame
Compares waiting for the future to a lame horse, suggesting a sense of hopelessness.
To lie in the gutter and die with no name
Describes a bleak fate, lying in the gutter without recognition or identity.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiterates the passing of the hobo, emphasizing the inevitability of this fate for individuals in such circumstances.
Leaving nobody to sing his sad song
Expresses the lack of acknowledgment or remembrance for the hobo's sad existence.
Leaving nobody to carry him home
Repeats the idea that there is nobody to provide a proper farewell or carry the hobo home.
He was only a hobo, but one more is gone
Reiterates the transient nature of the hobo's life, emphasizing that one more has passed away.
Only, only a hobo but one more is gone
Concludes with the repetition that the individual was only a hobo, but one more has now passed away.
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