Broadside ballad entitled 'Friendship's But A Shadow'

Transcription

FRIENDSHIP'S BUT
A SHADOW.

Written and Sung by Mr J. Macguire, with the greatest
success.

Air?-' English, Welsh and Scotch."

This Popular Song can be had at 190 and 192
OVERGATE, Dundee.

As we journey on through life we meet with many ups and
downs,
And often wish that we had ne'er been born ;
When poverty o'ertakes us in our humble happy home,
Our best friends are apt to turn on us with soorn.
When fortune seems to favour you they'll meet you with a
smile,
They will treat you and will see you safely home,
But remember what I say or forget it if you may,
Your best friend is a shilling of your own.

CHORUS?

Friendship's but a shadow, the shrewdest can be sold ;
Experience has taught me to discern
One true friend is better far than half his weight in gold
'Tis a lesson we have all some day to learn.

When a sailor comes home from some port beyond the seas,
His friends will gather round him by the score,
The girl he loves so dearly she will grasp him by the hand,
And say, "My boy, you are welcome home once more."
He lavishes his money on those he deems so true,
And his warm and manly heart with joy does swell,
But when his purse is empty, and these friends do seem so
cold,
How different is the tale he has to tell.

The rich man rolls in splendour, whilst the poor man plods
along
Through all his life in misery and woe,
With trouble and with labour he is bent down to the ground,
And his hair hangs round his neck as white as snow.
He sits alone, and ponders o'er the follies of his youth,
And all the friends he had in bye-gone days ;
A vision of his boyhood does arise before his eyes,
And these are the touching words he says,

I don't say for one moment that everyone's alike,
But we must be very cautious in those days
Impostors are so numerous, 'tis hard to judge a man,
They all seem to adopt such winning ways ;
There are hearts as true and warm as ever beat on earth.
Yet use all the discretion that you can,
Take each man to be honest till you prove he is a roguo,
And fight you way on bravely like a man.

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