TOM PAINE'S BONES
(Graham Moore)

As I dreamed out one evening by a river of discontent
I bumped right into old Tom Paine
As a-running down the road he went
He said I can’t stop right now my son King Georgy’s after me
He’ll have a rope around my throat and hang me on the liberty tree

Chorus (twice after each verse):
And I will dance to Tom Paine’s bones
Dance to Tom Paine’s bones
I'll dance in the oldest boots I own
To the rhythm of Tom Paine’s bones

He said I just spoke about freedom and justice for everyone
Ever since the very first word I spoke
I’ve been looking down the barrel of a gun
Well they say I preached revolution but let me say in my defence
All I did wherever I went was to talk a lot of ‘Common Sense’

Well old Tom Paine he ran so fast he left me standing still
And there I was a piece of paper in my hand
Standing at the top of the hill
And it said, “This is “The Age of Reason’, these are ‘The Rights of Man‘
Kick off religion and monarchy”, it was written there in Tom Paine’s plan

[ Old American nursery rhyme: ]
Poor old Tom Paine there he lies
Nobody laughs, nobody cries
Where he’s gone or how he fares
Nobody knows and nobody cares

Last chorus (twice):
But I will dance to Tom Paine’s bones
Dance to Tom Paine’s bones
I'll dance in the oldest boots I own
To the rhythm of Tom Paine’s bones

Transcription from Mainly Norfolk. Thanks, Reinhard.

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Here's a recording by Grace Patrie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7b149kkQAE