Rye Whiskey Joe

In an old hobo jungle on the south side of town
All my friends settled down for a meal
With two cans of bacon and an old loaf of bread
Anything anybody could steal
And a bottle of burgundy found its way around
For tonight everybody was low
From the passing of Joseph McSweeney
Everyone called him rye whiskey joe

Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, there's happiness somewhere for you
Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, somewhere out there in the blue

Now he hopped off a freight train eleven months back
With a sort of a look in his eye
With a smile on his face and an old canvas pack
That was half full of Table Talk pies
And he asked us if he could just stay for a time
To rest before he traveled on
But, he brought us much more than expected
And that's why we're singing this song

Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, there's happiness somewhere for you
Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, somewhere out there in the blue

After eating in the evening we all settled down
And listened while he sang his songs
With a bottle of whiskey there close by his side
That he shared when the time came around
And the light in his eyes was as warm as the fire
And his hair was black as the coal
We listened while he told his lonely old tales
And we all called him Rye Whiskey Joe

Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, there's happiness somewhere for you
Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, somewhere out there in the blue

Now he closed his eyes early one morning
They never would open again
And we buried his gear along with him
Said a prayer, filled the grave in, and then
I found a letter in the tall grass nearby
From a camp where he'd been long ago
Saying, "Thank you Mr. Joseph, for all that you've done"
And "Good luck to you Rye Whiskey Joe."

Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, there's happiness somewhere for you
Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, somewhere out there in the blue
Somewhere out there in the blue
Somewhere out there in the blue