The Ballad Of The Hard Rock Kid

Alright yeah Well John Marsden was a young boy He made his mind up quick Left his home and became a tramp And he never worked a lick no he didn't yeah You could find him in a box car Riding all across the line And he never took a dollar no and he never took a wife One day out in Iowa 'cross the great highway People came from miles around for national hobo day Was big celebration it was yeah And every bum and sad freeloader came to eat and laugh and sing And later on at sundown they would choosea hobo king Yeah yeah yeah John Marsden he was sixty-eight but he kept his age well hid And no one ever called him John no not at all no He was known as the hardrock kid I believe he was yeah yeah Oh alright OK OK After all his days of begging and sleeping on the ground He made his way to Iowa to fetch himself a crown That's what he did yeah Pennsylvania Wilson a younger man than he Had many friends among the crowd and was certain of victory And later when the votes was counted You know tears came to his eyes For he and Pennsylvania Wilson it was deadlocked in a tie yeah You know they voted again the crowd they screamed It was all in the hands of God And later when the smoke had cleared You know the hardrock kid got the knife With shaking hands and a tired smile Woh John Marsden woh the man took his crown woh oh oh yes he did And he placed it on young Wilson's head and it toppled to the ground