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Lost on the Steamer "Stonewall," or Mamma! Why Don't Papa Come Home?

Original sheet music owned by The St. Louis Mercantile Library.
Murphy, J. and G. W. Brown. Lost on the Steamer "Stonewall," or, Mamma! Why Don't Papa Come Home?. Balmer & Weber, 1863.

Song performed by: Matthew Cummins, Jameela Huq, Lisa Bennett (vocals) and Tara Dirst (piano). Recording engineer: Matt Dotson.

1. Mamma! why dont Papa come home? why does he stay away?
He has been gone from us, you know, a week since yesterday;
And then you sigh and sob, Mamma, as if your heart would break,
And all last night you wept, Mamma, and kept me wide awake;
And all last night you wept, Mamma, and kept me wide awake.

Chorus.
But now, Mamma! dry up your tears, and cease your sobs and sighs;
for by and by we'll meet Papa, Far up above the skies.

2. God bless you, dearest, darling boy, Papa will never come;
You'll never see his face again, nor kiss him welcome home.
He's gone, where you and I, my boy, may meet him by and by,
Within that fairer, better land, beyond the stars on high;
Within that fairer, better land, beyond the stars on high.

Chorus.

3. List, darling to a tale of woe; while on her downward way,
A boat caught fire, no human pow'r the raging flames could stay;
The "Stonewall" on that night was doom'd! No help was nigh to save!
Alas, my child, but very few escaped a wat'ry grave;
Alas, my child, but very few, escaped a wat'ry grave.

Chorus.

4. Alas, Mamma, I know it now, Papa was in that throng,
And that is why you've sigh'd so much, and wept the whole night long.
But now, Mamma! dry up you tears, and cease your sobs and sighs,
For by and by we'll meet Papa far up above the skies,
For by and by, we'll meet Papa far up above the skies.

Chorus.