The Drifting Man
Little Johnny-go-to-God
Lacked opportunity:
He filled his drawers with paper dreams
From his mother’s knee;
Lacked opportunity:
He filled his drawers with paper dreams
From his mother’s knee;
His nights were full of wonderings
On unlikely chances,
And when he woke he wandered
Through endless circumstances.
On unlikely chances,
And when he woke he wandered
Through endless circumstances.
How shall poor Johnny
With his bleak silly brain
Taste Heaven’s honey
Or suffer eternal pain?
With his bleak silly brain
Taste Heaven’s honey
Or suffer eternal pain?
His mind is an old weak-eyed man
Dressed in tatters and rags
Collecting rusty wheels and cans
And books in hessian bags.
Dressed in tatters and rags
Collecting rusty wheels and cans
And books in hessian bags.
When shall little Johnny
Find his way home to Heaven
Since work doesn’t end till half past four
And he may read till eleven?
Find his way home to Heaven
Since work doesn’t end till half past four
And he may read till eleven?
Drugs are his staple diet,
Though he leads a clean life,
Though his manners are nice and quiet
And he loves his wife.
Though he leads a clean life,
Though his manners are nice and quiet
And he loves his wife.
Confusion of events and dreams
Darkens the light of day,
The twilight teems
With truths that got away.
Darkens the light of day,
The twilight teems
With truths that got away.
The mansions of Paradise
Stand in a real place;
Johnny lacks reality
Of God’s grace.
Stand in a real place;
Johnny lacks reality
Of God’s grace.
Overdraft and nightmare
Call to decay:
Little Johnny-facts-and-dreams
Is in a bad way.
Call to decay:
Little Johnny-facts-and-dreams
Is in a bad way.
Wrap his body in a shroud,
Chill his brother, thin Percy,
Kneel down together and shout aloud
For Christ to have mercy.
Chill his brother, thin Percy,
Kneel down together and shout aloud
For Christ to have mercy.