My father is a drunkard my mother she is dead And I am just an orphan child no place to lay my head All through this world I wander they drive me from their door Someday I'll find a welcome on heaven's golden shore Now if to me you'll listen I'll tell a story sad How drinking rum and the gambling hell have stole away my dad My mother she is in heaven where God and the angels smile And now I know she's watching her lonely orphan child We were once so happy and had a happy home Till daddy went to drinking rum and then he gambled some He left my darling mother she died of a broken heart And as I tell my story I can see your teardrops start Don't weep for me and mother although I know it is sad But try to find someone to cheer and save my poor lonely dad I'm awful cold and hungry she closed her eyes and sighed Then those who heard her story knew the orphan child had died