Rhyme Of The Remittance Man

There's a four-pronged buck a-swinging
In the shadow of my cabin
And it roamed the velvet valley till today
But I tracked it by the river
And I trailed it in the cover
And I killed it on the mountain miles away
Now I've had my lazy supper
And the level sun is gleaming
On the water where the silver salmon play
And I light my little corn-cob
And I linger, softly dreaming
In the twilight, of a land that's far away

Well, this is the tale of a remittance man
I'm three sheets to the wind and
just a three days' sail from land
It's been ten years since I've crossed these shores
Don't know if I'll return
But if I keep my sails and liver wet
My soul ain't gonna burn

Far away, so faint and far
Is flaming London, fevered Paris
That I fancy I have gained another star
Far away the din and hurry
Far away the sin and worry
Far away - God knows they cannot be too far
Gilded galley-slaves of Mammon
How my purse-proud brothers taunt me
I might have been as well-to-do as they
Had I clutched like them my chances
Learned their wisdom, crushed my fancies
Starved my soul and gone to business everyday

Well, this is the tale of a remittance man
I'm three sheets to the wind and
just a three days' sail from land
It's been ten years since I've crossed these shores
Don't know if I'll return
But if I keep my sails and liver wet
My soul ain't gonna burn

Well, the cherry bends with blossom
And the vivid grass is springing
And the star-like lily nestles in the green
And the frogs their joys are singing
And my heart in tune is ringing
And it doesn't matter what I might have been
While above the scented pine-gloom
Piling heights of golden glory
The sun-god paints his canvas in the west
I can couch me deep in clover
I can listen to the story
Of the lazy, lapping water - it is best

While the trout leaps in the river
And the blue grouse thrills the cover
And the frozen snow betrays the panther's track
And the robin greets the dayspring
With the rapture of a lover
I am happy, and I'll nevermore go back
For I know I'd just be longing
For the little old log cabin
With the morning-glory clinging to the door
Till I loathed the city places
Cursed the care on all the faces
Turned my back on lazar London evermore

Well, this is the tale of a remittance man
I'm three sheets to the wind and
just a three days' sail from land
It's been ten years since I've crossed these shores
Don't know if I'll return
But if I keep my sails and liver wet
My soul ain't gonna burn

So send me far from Lombard Street
And write me down a failure
Put a little in my purse and leave me free
Say: "He turned from Fortune's offering
To follow up a pale lure
He is one of us no longer - let him be"
I am one of you no longer
By the trails my feet have broken
The dizzy peaks I've scaled, the camp-fire's glow
By the lonely seas I've sailed in
Yeah, the final word is spoken
I am signed and sealed to nature; be it so

Well, this is the tale of a remittance man
I'm three sheets to the wind and
just a three days' sail from land
It's been ten years since I've crossed these shores
Don't know if I'll return
But if I keep my sails and liver wet
My soul ain't gonna burn

Well, this is the tale of a remittance man
I'm three sheets to the wind and
just a three days' sail from land
It's been ten years since I've crossed these shores
Don't know if I'll return
But if I keep my sails and liver wet
My soul ain't gonna burn

Well, this is the tale of a remittance man
I'm three sheets to the wind and
just a three days' sail from land
It's been ten years since I've crossed these shores
Don't know if I'll return
But if I keep my sails and liver wet
My soul ain't gonna burn