The Bragging Song The Great Historical Bum lyrics

by Woody Guthrie

I was born about ten thousand years ago
There ain`t nuthin` in this world that I don`t know
I saw Peter Paul and Moses playin` ring-around-the-roses
And I`ll whup the guy what says it isn`t so

Well, I`m just a lonesome traveler, a great historical bum
Highly educated through history I have come
I built the Rock of Ages, it was in the year oh one
And that`s about the biggest thing that Man has ever done

I saw Adam and Eve driven from the door
I`m the guy that picked the figleaves that they wore
And from behind the bushes peepin` saw the apple they was eatin`
And I swear that I`m the one that et the core

Now I built the garden of Eden, it was in the year oh two
Joined the apple-pickers union and I always paid my dues
I`m the man that signed the contract to raise the risin` sun
And that`s about the biggest thing that Man has ever done

I taught Samson how to use his mighty hand
I showed Columbus to this happy land
And for Pharaoh`s little kiddies I built all the pyramiddies
And to the Sahara carried all the sand

Now I was strawboss on the pyramids and the tower of Babel too
I opened up the ocean, let the mighty children through
I fought a million battles and I never lost a one
And that`s about the biggest thing that Man has ever done

I taught Solomon his little ABC`s
I`m the first one to eat Limburger cheese
And while floating down the bay with Methuseleh one day
I saw his whiskers floating in the breeze

Now I fought the revolution that set this country free
It was me and a couple of Indians that dumped the Boston tea
I won the battle of Valley Forge and the battle of Bully Run
And that`s about the biggest thing that Man has ever done

Now Queen Elizabeth she fell in love with me
We were married in Milwaukee secretly
But I got tired and shook her and ran off with General Hooker
To go shootin` skeeters down in Tennessee

[Repeat first two verses