Digital Tradition Mirror

A Picture From Life's Other Side

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

A Picture From Life's Other Side
(Charles E. Baer?)

In the world's mighty gall'ry of pictures
Hang scenes that are painted from life,
There's pictures of joy and of sorrow,
There's pictures of peace and of strife,
  There's pictures of youth and of beauty'
  Old age and the blushing young bride.
  All hang on the wall, but the saddest of all,
  Is a picture from life's other side.

cho: it's a picture from life's other side,
     Someone who fell by the way;
     A life has gone out with the tide
     That may have been happy one day;
     Some poor old mother at home
     Is watching and waiting alone,
     Just longing to hear from her loved ones so dear,
     It's a picture from life's other side.

The next scene is that of a gambler
Who lost all his money at play,
Draws his dead mother's ring from his finger
That she wore on her glad wedding day.
     His last earthly treasure, he stakes it
     Bows his head that his shame he might hide,
     When they lifted his head, they found he was dead,
     It's a picture from life's other side.

The next scene is that of two brothers
Whose paths in life different ways led,
The one was a-living' in luxury
While t'other one begged for his bread;
     One dark night they met on a highway,
     "Your money or life" the thief cried;
     Then he took with his knife,  his dear brother's life,
     It's a picture from life's other side.

The next scene is down by the river,
A heart-broken mother and child,
The old harbor lights stand and shiver,
On an outcast that no one will save;
     Perhaps she was once a good woman.
     Somebody's darlin' and pride,
     God help her, she leaps, there is no one to weep,
     It's a picture from life's other side.


From Folksinger's Wordbook, Silber
Recorded by Woody Guthrie, Jane Voss and a bunch of others
Note: 1896 sheet music credits "Vaughn"
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!