Lyr ADD: Barque of Life/You've Been a Friend to Me

Subject: Barque of Life(orArk of Life?)
From:
Date: 28 Jul 98 - 11:38 AM

This is done by the Carter Family and also may be called"You've Been A Friend To Me". Anyone have the words for this song? Thanks.

Ted Coleman

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU'VE BEEN A FRIEND TO ME (Carter Fam.)
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 28 Jul 98 - 02:23 PM

Ted...We sing it to our dog, our "bark of life".... Tiger

YOU'VE BEEN A FRIEND TO ME -- Carter Family

My bark of life was tossing down
The troubled stream of time,
Since first I saw your smiling face,
And youth was in its prime.

CHORUS
Oh, I'll ne'er forget,
Where e'er I roam,
Wherever I may be,
If ever I have had a friend,
You've been that friend to me.

Misfortune nursed me as her child,
And loved me fondly, too.
I would have had a broken heart,
Had it not been for you.

CHORUS

I now look back upon the past,
Across life's troubled sea,
And smile to think in all life's scenes,
You've been a friend to me.

CHORUS

Subject: Original verses You've Been a Friend to Me
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jan 20 - 02:03 AM

The original Will Hayes 1858 sheet music has more verses that i have not seen previously. Verses 1,3 and 6 are normally sung in the Carter and other versions.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mussm&fileName=sm/sm1879/11900/11919/mussm11919.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?mussm:1:./tem

Chorus: Oh I'll never forget, where-er I roam, wherever you may be,
For if ever I have had a friend, you've been a friend to me.

1. My bark of life was tossing down the troubled seas of time,
When first I saw your smiling face and youth was in its prime.

2. Then life’s dark hours were turned to light, my sorrowed heart was free
And since that time I’ve always found, you’ve been a friend to me.

3. Misfortune nursed me as her child and loved me fondly too,
I would have had a broken heart, If it had not have been for you.

4. Kind words were whispered softly sweet, but glad I could not be,
Until I found that you had been, a faithful friend to me.

5. The light of hope from your bright eyes, dispelled the clouds of strife And shed their rays of sunshine down my weary path in life

6. I now look back upon the past, across life's stormy sea,
And smile to think mid all life’s scenes, You've been a friend to me.