Sitting
round the funk check
on a cold November morn,
And most of us were wishing
that we never had been born.
The north wind just a -howling,
letting in the sleet and rain,
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same.
Some were playing poker,
losing all their summer state,
And some were stealing cookies
that the cook had chance to make.
The flonky -choppin' firewood
says we're drivin' him insane,
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same.
For breakfast we get flapjacks,
for dinner pork and bean,
For supper a big chunk of pork
I didn't have no lean.
They ain't no use complainin',
boys, there ain't a thing to gain,
When the smoke went up the chimney
just the same.
One day we boys decided four
to have some different chunk
We give old Jim the job
cause he always had good luck
And soon the pot was failing
and the fragrance sure was tame
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same
We had beef and spuds and carrot
boys that made a dandy stew
Along with chunks of turnips
that they never would cook through
Asparagus and onions
that are noted for their fame,
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same.
Oh, after we had eaten all the
chuck that we could hold,
Decided we had better rest
of crawling to our oals,
But soon we gets a feeling,
boys, it turned into a pain,
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same.
Old Jim led him to laughing
at the way we all performed
He said he never had such fun
since the day that he was born
He said he'd made a big mistake
and the only one to blame
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same
He was putting in some seasoning
like most a cookies do
A sack fell off the pantry shelf
and fell into the stew
There's a little sack of hidey -ho
That causes all the pain
But the smoke went up the chimney
just the same
And now you've heard the mystery
Of the cowboy and their stew
Next mornin' all were grumblin'
And a -feelin' mighty blue
Old Jim was fryin' bacon
And a -singin' this refrain
And the smoke went up the chimney
just the same you