One morning when the office had opened
a man quite old in years
Entered the express office
showing signs of grief and fear
When the clerk approached him
his trembling voice did say
I'm waiting for my boy, sir
he's coming home today
You have made a small mistake
and you must surely know
This is the express office, sir
and not a town depot
If your boy is coming home
this cold rainy day
You'll find him with the passengers
at the station just over the way
You do not understand me, sir
the old man shook his head
He's not a-coming as a passenger
but by express instead
He's coming home to mother
the old man gently said
He's coming home in a casket, sir
he's coming to us dead
Just then a whistle pierced the ears
the express came in on time
The old man rose in a breathless haste
and quickly rushed outside
Then a long white casket
was lowered to the ground
The scene was filled with the grief and tears
of those who gathered around
Don't handle that box roughly, boys
it contains our darling Jack
He went away as you boys are
see the way he's coming back
He broke his poor mother's heart
her saying's all come true
She said, this is the way that he'd come back
when he joined the boys in blue.
a man quite old in years
Entered the express office
showing signs of grief and fear
When the clerk approached him
his trembling voice did say
I'm waiting for my boy, sir
he's coming home today
You have made a small mistake
and you must surely know
This is the express office, sir
and not a town depot
If your boy is coming home
this cold rainy day
You'll find him with the passengers
at the station just over the way
You do not understand me, sir
the old man shook his head
He's not a-coming as a passenger
but by express instead
He's coming home to mother
the old man gently said
He's coming home in a casket, sir
he's coming to us dead
Just then a whistle pierced the ears
the express came in on time
The old man rose in a breathless haste
and quickly rushed outside
Then a long white casket
was lowered to the ground
The scene was filled with the grief and tears
of those who gathered around
Don't handle that box roughly, boys
it contains our darling Jack
He went away as you boys are
see the way he's coming back
He broke his poor mother's heart
her saying's all come true
She said, this is the way that he'd come back
when he joined the boys in blue.
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