He's Coming To Us Dead - Norman Blake, Nancy Blake

One morning when the office had opened

A man quite old in years

Stood beside the express office

Showing signs of grief and tears

When the clerk approached him

His trembling words did say

'I'm waiting for my boy, sir

He’s coming home today'

'Well you have made a sad mistake

And you must surely know

That this is the telegraph office, sir

And not a town depot'

'If your boy is coming home'

The clerk with a smile smile did say

'You'll find him with the passengers, sir

At the station just all th way'

'You do not understand me, sir'

The old man shook his had

'He's not a-coming as a passenger

But by express instead'

'He's coming home to mother'

The old man gently said

'He's coming home in a casket, sir

He’s coming to us dead'

Just then a whistle pierced their ears

The express came on time

The old man rose in a breathless haste

And quickly rushed outside

And then a long white casket

Was lowered to the ground

Showing signs of grief and tears

To those who gathered around

'Do not use him roughly, boys

It contains our darling Jack

He went away as you boys are

See how he’s coming back?'

'He broke his poor old mother’s heart

Her sayings all came true

She said, this is the way that he’d come back

When he joined the boys in blue'