Big Rock Candy Mountain (Performed Live On The Ed Sullivan Show 3/22/53)

Burl Ives - Big Rock Candy Mountain

1. 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

Chorus:

Oh the buzzin' of the bees

In the cigarette trees

Near the soda water fountain

At the lemonade springs

Where the bluebird sings

On the big rock candy mountain

2. 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 you never throw rocks

And your hair is never parted

Chorus:

3. 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 hiked away,

The mileposts they were counting

But they never arrived

At the lemonade tide

On the big rock candy mountain

Chorus:

1. One evening as the sun went down

And the jungle fires were burning,

Down the track came a hobo hiking,

He said, "Boys, I'm not turning

I'm heading for a land that's far away

Beside the crystal fountain

I'll see you all this coming fall

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain

Chorus:

2. In the Big Rock Candy Mountain,

It's a land that's fair and bright,