A Picture From Life's Other Side

(album: Me And My Boys - 1969)

In the world's mighty gallery of pictures hang scenes that're painted from life
There's pictures of love and of passion and there's pictures of piece and of strife
There hung pictures of youth and of beauty and of old age and a blushing young bride
But the saddest of all they don't hung on the wall there's just a picture from life's other side

The first scene is that of a gambler who had lost all his money at play
And he draws his dead mother's ring from his finger
That she wore long ago on her wedding day
It's his last earthly treasure but he stakes it
Then he bows his head that in shame he might hide
But when they lifted his head, they found he was dead
That's just a picture from life's other side

Now the last scene is that by the river of a heartbroken mother and babe
As the harbor lights shine and they shiver on an outcast whom no one will save
Now yet she was once a true woman she was somebody's darling and pride
But God help her she leaps and there's no one to weep
That's a picture from life's other side

Just a picture from life's other side someone has fell by the way
A life has gone out with the tide that might have been happy some day
There's a poor old mother at home watching and waiting alone
Just longing to hear from a loved one so dear just a picture from life's other side