In an old hobo jungle on the south side of town All my friends settled down for a meal, With two cans of bacon, an old loaf of bread, Anything anybody could steal, And a bottle of Burgundy found its way 'round, For tonight everybody was low, From the passing of Joseph McSweeny, Everyone called him Rye Whiskey Joe.
chorus Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, there's happiness somewhere for you Oh, Rye Whiskey Joe, somewhere out there in the blue.
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.
chorus
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 His hair was black as the coal We listened while he told his lonely old tales And we all called him Rye Whiskey Joe.
chorus
He closed his eyes early one morning And they never would open again 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."