Jimmy Arthur Ordge - Ballad of Dawson City

IT WAS UP IN DAWSON CITY IN THE FALL OF NINETY TWO
THERE WAS DAN AND SAM AND BILLY JOE AND A THOUSAND MORE LIKE YOU
YOU COULD HEAR EM EVERY MORNING SOFTLY CURSIN IN THE COLD
FOR THE GREED INSIDE THEIR BLACKENED HEARTS
THAT MADE EM SEARCH FOR GOLD

NOW THE STORY GOES TO TELL HOW IN THE FALL OF NINETY-THREE
OLD DAN AND SAM AND BILLY JOE FOUND THE MOTHER LODE IT SEEMED
BUT IT'S A LONG LONG WAY FROM DAWSON TO THE COMFORTS OF THE SOUTH
AND OLD DAN GOT WHISKEYED IN THE BAR, STARTED RUNNIN AT THE MOUTH

THERE WERE MANY MEN WHO WENT NORTH
IN THAT FALL OF NINETY-TWO
SEARCHIN FOR THE YELLOW DEVIL
GOOD MEN LIKE ME AND YOU
YES SOME WERE YOUNG, SOME WERE OLD
NOT MANY LIVED TO TELL
OF THEIR STAY IN DAWSON CITY
AND HOW CLOSE THEY LIVED TO HELL

THERE WERE MEN IN DAWSON CITY DIDN'T GIVE A DAMN FOR LIFE
AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE OLD DAN WAS A'LOOKIN DOWN A KNIFE
THEN THEY TOOK HIM UP THE ROAD A PIECE AND MADE HIM TELL THEM WHERE
YOUNG BILLY JOE AND SAM AND ALL THAT GOLD WAS HID OUT THERE

NOW TO TELL THIS STORY QUICKLY WAS THAT SAME DARK EVIL NIGHT
THAT THE RENEGADES FROM KILLIES KILLED BOTH SAM AND DAN ALRIGHT
YOUNG BILLY JOE MADE OFF WITH ALL THE GOLD AND NOTHING ELSE
JUST A THOUSAND MILES OF BARREN LAND ALONE ALL BY HIMSELF

THERE WERE MANY MEN WHO WENT NORTH
IN THAT FALL OF NINETY-TWO
SEARCHIN FOR THE YELLOW DEVIL
GOOD MEN LIKE ME AND YOU
YES SOME WERE YOUNG, SOME WERE OLD
NOT MANY LIVED TO TELL
OF THEIR STAY IN DAWSON CITY
AND HOW CLOSE THEY LIVED TO HELL

WELL A SOURDOUGH FROM THE TRAPLINES IN THE SPRING OF NINETY-FOUR
ARRIVED IN DAWSON CITY WITH A CORPSE AND NOT MUCH MORE
TOLD OF HOW HE'D FOUND HIM FROZEN ON THE BANKS OF YELLER CREEK
WITHOUT THE PACK OF GOLD DUST THAT HAD FINALLY MADE HIM WEAK

IT WAS UP IN DAWSON CITY IN THE FALL OF NINETY-TWO

Written by:
R. H. Smith

Publisher:
Lyrics © ROYALTY MUSIC PUBLISHING

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