These are the lyrics I heard on an old 75 rpm in 1955. The record was much older and I know nothing about it. but it had more verses than the others here... so here it is.. as far as I can member


THE GREAT AMERICAN BUM

Come all you jolly jokers if you and listen while I hum
I'll relate to you the story of of the great American bum.
From the east and west and north and south like a swarm of bees they come.
They sleep in the dirt and they wear a shirt that's dirty and full of crumbs.

(chorus)
I am a bum, a jolly old bum
And I live like a royal Turk.
And I have good luck and I bum all my chuck
God bless the man that works.

It's early in the morning when the dew is on the ground,
The bum arises from his nest and gazes all around.
From the boxcars and the haystacks they get up everywhere
and they never look back upon their track until they had a square.
(chorus)

Now I beat my way from Frisco Bay to the rock-bound coast of Maine
Througth Canada and Mexico and I been back again
I've met town clown and railroad bulls as tough as tough can be
and I've been in every calaboos in this land of liberty.
(chorus)

well I've topped the spruce and worked the sluice and taken my turn at the plow
I've panned for gold in the rain and cold and worked on a river scow.
I built the dam and dug the clam and packed the elusive prune.
But my troubles fail when I hit the trail packin my ol maloon.
(chorus)

I'm waiting in the station, waiting for a train
waiting for a west bound freight, I think it's all in vane.
While going east they're loaded, and going west sealed tight,
"I reckon we'll have to ride aboard the fast express tonight."
(chorus)

Well, I met a man the other day that I never met before,
And he asked me if I wanted a job a-shovelin' iron ore.
I asked him what the wages was and he said: "ten cents a ton."
I said: "Old man go chase yourself", I'd rather be on the bum.
(chorus)

Oh, lady would you be kind enough to give me somethin' to eat,
A piece of bread and butter and a tender slice of meat.
Some apple pie and custard just to tickle me appetite,
For really I'm so hungry, don't know where I'll sleep tonight.
(chorus)

(end chorus)
sleeping in the station, tra la la lation
perpetual vacation, that's my recommendation, haree, haree, harum
We are three bums, three jolly ol bums we live like royal turks
we have good luck in bumming our chuck
And we never bother to work