Picture from Life's Other Side Songtext

von Woody Guthrie

In the world's mighty gallery of pictures
There're scenes that are painted from life,
Scenes of youth and of beauty,
Scenes of hardship and strife,
Scenes of wealth and of plenty,
Old age and the blushing young bride,
Hang on the wall - but the saddest of all
Is a pictures from life's other side.

[Chorus]
A picture from life's other side
Someone has fell by the way
And a life has gone out with the tide
That might have been happy someday
Some poor mother at home
Is watching and a-waiting alone
Longing to hear - from her loved one so dear
That's a picture from life's other side.

Now the first scene is one of two brothers
Their paths them both diff'rently led
One lived in luxury and riches
And the other one begged for his bread
One night they met on the highway

"Your money or life, sir", one cried
And then with his knife - took his own brother's life
That's a picture from life's other side.

The next scene is that of a gambler
Who had lost all his money at play
An' he draws his dead mother's ring from his finger
That she wore long ago on her wedding day
It's his last earthly treasure, but he stakes it
Then he bows his head that his shame he may hide
But, when they lifted his head - they found he was dead
That's a picture from life's other side.

[Chorus]

Now the last scene is down by the river
Of a heart-broken mother and babe
In the harbor light glare see them shiver
Outcasts that no one will save
Once she was once a true woman
Somebody's darlin' and pride
God help her, she leaps - for there's no one to weep
That's a picture from life's other side.

[Chorus]