American Old Time Song Lyrics: 29 Forty Years Ago

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 29

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FORTY YEARS AGO.
Copyright, 1876, by G. D. Russell & Co.
By J. S. Knight.

How wondrous are the changes, Jim, since forty years ago,
When gals wore woolen dresses. Jim. and boys wore pants of tow;
When shoes were made of calf-skin, Jim, and socks of home-spun wool,
And children did a half-day's work before the hour of school.

The girls took music lessons, Jim, upon the spinning-wheel.
And practiced late and early, Jim, on swift and reel;
The boys would ride bare-back to mill, a dozen miles or so,
And hurry off before 'twas day, some forty years ago.

The people rode to meeting, Jim, in sleds instead of sleighs.
And wagons rode as easy, Jim, as buggies nowadays;
And oxen answered well for teams, though now they'd be too slow,
For people lived not half so fast some forty years ago.

Oh, well do I remember, Jim, that Wilson's patent stove
That father bought and paid for, Jim, in cloth our gals had wove;
And how the neighbors wondered, Jim, when we got the thing to go;
They said 'twould bust and kill us all some forty years ago.

Yes, everything is different, Jim, from what it used to was.
For men are always tamp'ring, Jim, with God's great natural laws;
But what on earth we're coming to-does anybody know?
For everything has changed so much since forty years ago.
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