American Old Time Song Lyrics: 47 The Firemans Story

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 47

THE FIREMAN'S STORY.
Copyright, 1896, by Frank Harding.
Written and Composed by F. V. St. Clair.

One evening, at a village inn, a fire-brigade man brave
Told me a touching story of a chum now in his grave:
Together they from childhood's days were friends both true and tried;
He told how his old comrade at a fire had nobly died;
"As boys we fought each others fights," in pride he did exclaim:
"Old chums were we in thought and deed, we differed but in name;
A lusting tie of friendship held our hearts together when,
At school, we were but boys," said be; "the same when we were men."

Chorus.
Old chums, old chums, chums for years were we;
Near each other in weal or woe, we would ever be;
Never a moment parted, ever side by side:
Oh, what a terrible blow to me when my old chum died.

One cold November night a fire broke out-my chnm and I
Had climbed up on a warehouse roof, both there to do or die;
I'd left him but a moment when I heard a heavy crash-
Into the flames a fireman fell, Bill followed like a flash:
The other man had broke his leg, the flames were scorching them-
Did Bill leave that man to his fate? ob, no, he proved a gem:
Half-blinded, still be raised the man and brought him from the fire-
Yes, saved his life-a man like Bill the whole world could admire.- Cho.

At last Bill fell in harness-it was on one Christmas eve;
The loss of my old comrade caused my poor old heart to grieve;
We had been summoned to a fire-Bill, ever to the fore,
Went to a room to save a child-he bursted down the door;
He got the child and down the fire-escape the youngster sent,
Then back to look for others, my old daring comrade went;
Just as he got back to the room, the roof fell in and he
Was killed-on mercy's mission bent, died there, quite close to me.- Cho.