Old And Only In The Way

When you walk along the street

How often times you'll meet

Some poor old man who's getting old and grey

His age is feeble spent

In his pockets not a cent

And for shelter he has nowhere to go

His relations by the score

They'll turn him from the door

They'll meet him on a street, they'll pass him by

If you ask them why they do

They'll answer you and say,

"he is poor, he's old, he's only in the way"

Now let us cheer them all

For they won't be with us long

Don't point at them because they're old and grey

For remember while you're young

Old age to you will come

And you'll be old and grey and only in the way

There was a time, i hear

When young was not so queer

But since that time there's been an awful change

Young men with strength and might

To the parents they would strike

Yes, it happens every day, that's nothing strange

They strike for fear of toil

Whose children they would spoil

And sure for death ofttimes they do pray

For himself and faithful wife been toiling all their lives

To find they're old and only in the way