American Old Time Song Lyrics: 45 Come Back To Your Mother Tom
Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 45
Come Back to Your Mother, Tom.
Copyright, 1894, by T. B. Harms & Co.
Words and Music by James Thornton.
A father and his only son were quarreling one day,
The boy, like other boys, was rather wild:
A mother stood between them for to shield her boy from harm;
Tho' wayward, still she loved her only child.
He ran away that evening, and his parents knew not where,
But ev'ry night the mother for him prays;
She kneels before his picture, which is hanging on the wall,
And with tearful eyes upraised, she softly says:
Chorus.
"Come back to your mother, Tom, ev'ry thing's forgiven;
We don't know whether you are dead, or whether You are living;
Your father wants to see you, Tom, we both are old and gray,
So come back to your mother, Tom, before we pass away."
'Tis Christmas, and the village bells are ringing out their chimes,
Proclaiming peace o'er land and o'er the foam:
An aged couple listen, while their eyes fill up with tears,
Their thoughts are for one for away from home.
When lo, a knock comes to the door, the mother she responds,
And then before her stands her truant boy;
His clothes are torn and tattered, but still he's her only son,
And with arms around his neck, she weeps with joy.
Chorus.
"You've come back to mother, Tom, everything's forgiven;
We knew not whether you were dead, or whether you were living;
Your father wants to see you. Tom, we both are old and gray,
You've come back to the old folks, Tom, before we pass'd away."