The Ragpicker's Dream

When Jack Frost came for Christmas

With a brass monkey date

The rail-king and the scarecrow

Hopped a Florida freight

And they blew on their paper cups

And stared through the steam

Then they drank half a bottle

Of Ragpicker's Dream where

The whiskey keeps following

Cold pitchers of beer

Me and my associate

Like the clientele here get

The onions and the 'taters

Rib-eyes on the grill

Toothpicks and luckies

And a coffee refill as

The rail-king lay rocking

He was leaving the ground

Then he was flying like Santa Claus

Over the town where

He came to the window

Of a house by a stream

It was a family Christmas

In the Ragpicker's Dream there

Were kids at the table

All aglow in the light

Music in the wintertime

Sure carries at night there

Was turkey and gravy

Pie and ice cream

And gifts for each and everyone

In the Ragpicker's Dream where

The red-eye keeps tumbling

In our glasses of beer

Me and my associate

Like the service in here there's

A ten for your trouble

You have beautiful hair

Make the last one two doubles

It's a cold one out there where

The scarecrow and the rail-king

Have started to dance

But a nightstick and a billyclub

Won't give peace a chance here

I think they went thataways

Your song and dance team

Heading home for the holidays

With the Ragpicker's Dream on

His knees like a fighter

The rail-riding king

Like a sack of potatoes

Like a bull in the ring where

The scarecrow falls over

With a tear in the seam

Home for the rover

In the Ragpicker's Dream where

The red-eye keeps tumbling

Like tears in our beer

Me and my associate

Like the ambience here where

They cornered two castaways

In a white flashlight beam

Merry Christmas and happy days

In the Ragpicker's Dream