American Old Time Song Lyrics: 52 Pictures From Lifes Other Side
Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 52
Pictures from Life's Other Side.
Copyright, MDCCCXCVI, by Henry J. Welman.
Words and Music by Charles E. Baer.
In the world's mighty gall'ry of pictures
Hang the scenes that are painted from life;
The picture of love and of passion,
The picture of pence and of strife;
The picture of youth and of beauty,
Old age and the blushing young bride,
All hang on the wall, but the saddest of all,
Are the pictures from life's other side.
Chorus.
'Tis a picture from life's other side,
Some one who fell by the way,
A life has gone out with the tide
That may have been happy one day.
Some poor old mother at home,
Watching and waiting alone,
Longing to hear from the lov'd ones so dear,
'Tis a picture from life's other side.
The first scene is that of a gambler,
Who has lost all his money at play,
Draws his dead mother's ring from his finger,
She wore on her wedding day;
His last earthly treasure he stakes it,
Bows his bead, that his shame he may hide.
When they lifted his head they found he was dead,
'Tis a picture from life's other side.-Chorus.
The next tells a tale or two brothers.
Whose paths in life diff'rent ways led;
The one was In luxury living.
The other one begged for his bread;
One dark night they met on the highway.
"Your money or life! "the thief cried.
And he took with his knife his own brother's life,
'Tis a picture from life's other side.- Chorus.
The last is a scene by the river,
Of a heart-broken mother and babe,
'Neath the harbor-lights' glare stands and shivers,
An outcast whom no one will save;
And yet she was once a true woman,
She was somebody's darling and pride.
God help her, she leaps, there is no one to weep,
'Tis a picture from life's other side.-Chorus