Dick Curless

Big Rock Candy Mountain

Dick Curless


On a summer day in the month of May a burly bum came hiking
Down a shady lane through the sugar cane he was looking for his liking
As he roamed along he sang a song of the land of milk and honey
Where a bum can stay for many a day and he won't need any money

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees and the soda water fountain
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the big rock candy mountain

There's a lake of gin we can both jump in and the handouts grow on bushes
In the new-mown hay we can sleep all day and the bars all have free lunches
Where the mail train stops and there ain't no cops and the folks are tender-hearted
Where you never change your socks and rocks and your hair is never parted

Oh the buzzin' of the bees...

Oh a farmer and his son they were on the run to the hay field they were bounding
Said the bum to the son why don't you come to that big rock candy mountain
So the very next day they kiked away the mile posts they kept counting
But they never arrived at the lemonade tide on the big rock candy mountain

Oh the buzzin' of the bees...
On the big rock candy mountain