My father had a recording of this poem on an old '78 record and I remember this second verse: Ivory bones with ebony dots Oft times lead to cemetary lots The game last night brought on a fight That ended up in pistol shots Now I was furthest from the door (the others all got there before) And a brother on the floor lay dead While through the transom somebody said: Now somebody's got to stay behind Yes, sombody's got to remain So when the police officers, When they arrive To explain why this brother's no longer alive. The man who stays behind and sees this whole thing through A real hero is going to be... Yes, sir, that's a wonderful chance for somebody It's gotta be somebody else, not me.
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