American Old Time Song Lyrics: 35 The Evening News Ragged Matt

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 35

THE EVENING NEWS(Ragged Matt.)
Copyright, 1889, by J. R. Bell.
Words and Music by Barney Mullelly.

I'm called "Ragged Matt," for my clothes and my hat
They are ragged, they are tattered and torn;
Evening News is my friend, it has stuck to the end,
When poverty's hour was most known,
When a small child I had a very bad "dad,"
Bad, I mean, in his way,
Every dollar and cent for liquor was spent,
Till death came and took him one day.

REFAIN.
Evening News! Evening News! Evening News! I would cry,
While roaming the streets, I did not look neat,
but I hustled for mother and I.

My mother took sick and was forced to her bed,
With sorrow I'd nearly gone wild;
No money or friends, my poor mother did weep,
Saying, "What shall we do, my dear child?"
At early day I started away
To earn some money for bread!
When I returned to my home, it's then I did moan,
For there lay my poor mother dead.-Refrain.