Tom: A
A E
I came into Yuba as soon as I read
D A
Of all of those twenty-five hobos found dead
A D
I came in to find out if one of the slain
A E A
Could have answered to my brother's name
A E
It might be your brother, I just couldn't say
D A
We hire lots of floaters who work by the day;
A D
Now I see his photo they might be the same
A E A
But I never did ask him his name
A E
Chorus: If I had a list and if I only knew
E A
I'd write down their names and sing them to you
A D
And when I got done, I'd sing them again
A E A
So you'd all know each one had a name
A E
He had a room and ran out on the rent
D A
Hired on a crew, I don't know where he went
A D
If I knew his boss, I might make a claim
A E A
But I never did write down his name
A E
He stopped for a drink every now and again
D A
Didn't look no different than hundreds of men;
A D
You know these old winos, they all look the same
A E A
No reason to ask him his name
A E
It might have been Shorty, a feller I knew
D A
We bunked in the empties when the season was through
A D
You know, I been thinking, it sure is a shame
A E A
I never did ask him his name
A E
We always abandon the old for the new
D A
And second-hand people get thrown away, too;
A D
I know it won't help, but still it explains
A E A
Why no one remembers their names
