You
see these work boots in my hands
They'll probably fit you now, my son
Take them, they're a gift from me
Why don't you try them on?
It would do your old man good
To see you walking in these boots one day
And take your place among the men Who work upon the slipway
These dead man's boots though they're old and curled
When a fella needs a job and a place in the world
And it's time for a man to put down boots
And walk to the river in his old man's boots
He said, I'm nearly done than asking this
To do one final thing for me
You're barely but a sapling And you think that you're a tree
If you need a seed to prosper You must first put down some roots
Just one foot then the other In these dead man's boots
These dead man's boots know their way down the hill
They could walk there themselves and they probably will
There's a place for you there to sink your roots
Or take a walk down the river in these dead man's boots
I said, why in the hell would I do that?
And why would I agree?
When his hand was all that I'd received As far as I remember
It's not as if it's foiled me With his kindness up till then,
you see
I'd have planted me on and I'd quit
this place When I came of age September
These dead man's boots know their way down the hill
They could walk there themselves and they probably will
I've plenty of choices, I've plenty of roots
And he'd never see me walking in these dead
man's boots I wasn't made him think I'd be happy ending
up like him
When he'd hardly got two hipnees left
Or a broken pot to piss in He wanted the same thing for me
But that his final wish He said,
what the hell are you gonna do?
I said,
anything but this These dead man's boots know their way down the
hill They could walk there themselves and they
most likely will But they won't walk with me
Cause I'm off the other way I've had it up to here
I'm gonna have my say When all you got left is that cross on the
wall I want nothing from you
I want nothing at all Not a pension or a pittance
When your whole life is through Get this through your head
I'm nothing like you I'm done with all the arguments
There'll be no more dispute And you'll
die before you see me in your dead
man's boots