Stonecracker John

Stonecracker John written by Frederic Edward Weatherly

1909; the word "Stonecracker" is not spelt "Stone-cracker"

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I sits by the roadside with great regularity,
And I cracks up the stones for the highway authority,
Oh whack fol the riddle oh, I earns all my pay,
For I cracks 'em an' whacks 'em for ninepence a day,
So I do, now,
Yes I do now,
All for ninepence a day.

When the grand folks go by on their wild-cat machinery,
They kicks up a dust an' they spoils all the greenery,
Oh whack fol the riddle oh, I chuckle and say,
I'd crack 'em, and whack 'em, if I had my way.
So I would now,
Yes I would, now,
If I had my way!

When the sweethearts go by an' the girls look so cuddlesome,
What makes all the young men so moody and muddlesome?
Oh whack fol the riddle oh, if I had my way,
I'd take 'em, an' shake 'em, and show 'em what to say,
So I would now,
Yes I would, now,
I'd show 'em the way.

But I mayn't live much longer to continue my history,
An' what's to become of me, well, that is a mystery,
So whack fol the riddle oh! like the stones I do say,
You may crack me, an' whack me, but I've had my day,
So I have, then,
Yes I have, then,
Yes, I've had my day.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 years or less.