I'm just a lonesome traveler the great historical bum I'm highly educated from history I have come I built the rock of ages that was the year of one And that was about the biggest thing that man has ever done. I worked the Garden of Eden 'twas in the year of two Joined the apple picker's union and always paid my due I'm the man that signed the contract to raise the rising sun And that was about the biggest thing that man had ever done. I was straw boss on the pyramids and tower of babel too I opened up the ocean let the migrant children through I fought a million battles and I never lost a one That's about the biggest thing that man had ever done. I beat the daring Roman and I beat the daring Turk Defeated Nero's army with thirty minutes work I met the greatest leaders and licked them every one That was about the greatest that man had ever done. I was in the revolution when we set the country free Me and a couple of Indians that dumped the Boston tea Won the Battle at Valley Forge and Battle of Bully Run And that's about the biggest thing that man has ever done. There's a man across the ocean and I guess you know him well His name is Adolph Hitler and I'll burn his soul in hell I kicked him in his panzers and I put him on the run And that's about the biggest thing that man has ever done. There's warehouse guys and teamsters and gus that skin the cats Women that run the big mill the furnace and the blast We'll stop these axis rattlesnakes and thieves of old Nippon And this will be the biggest thing that man has ever done. There mines and mills and factories that run for this big land Backed up the service men that fight on every hand The job is awful tough and will take us every one But this will be the biggest thing that man has ever done. Well I better quit my talking 'cause I told you all I know But please remember pardner wherever you may go The world is digging slavery's grave and when the job is done This'll be the biggest thing that man has ever done. ____ This world is your world, take it easy, but take it.
Featured in our collection of Poetry for Students
Return to the Woody Guthrie Home Page, or . . . Read the next poem; This Land Is Your Land