A Picture From Life's Other Side

In the world's mighty gallery of pictures

Hang the scenes that are painted from life

There's pictures of love and of passion

Then there's pictures of peace and of strife

There hang pictures of youth and of beauty

Of old age and the blushing young bride

They all hang on the wall but the saddest of all

Are the pictures from life's other side

Just a picture from life's other side

Someone has fell by the way

A life has gone out with the tide

That might have been happy some day

There's a poor old mother at home

She's watching and waiting alone

Just longing to hear from a loved one so dear

It's just a picture from life's other side

The first scene is that of a gambler

Who had lost all his money at play

And he draws his dead mother's ring from his finger

That she wore long ago on her wedding day

It's his last earthly treasure but he stakes it

Then he bows his head that his shame he may hide

But when they lifted his head they found he was dead

That's just a picture from life's other side

Now the last scene is that by the river

Of a heartbroken mother and babe

As the harbor lights shine and they shiver

On 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 for there's no one to weep

It's just a picture from life's other side