An office door was opened
By a man advanced in years
The wrinkles on his care worn face
Showed what of grief and tears
And when the clerk approached him
With trembling lips he said
I’m waiting for my boy sir
He’s coming home today

I think you make a great mistake
The clerk to him to say
This is an express office here
and not a town depot
And if your boy is coming home
The clerk to him did say
You’ll find him with the passengers
In a station ‘long the way

You do not understand me sir
The old man shook his head
He ain’t coming as a passenger
But by express instead
He’s coming home to mother
With trembling lips he said
He’s coming in a casket sir
He’s coming to us dead

Just then a whistle pierced his ear
An express someone cried
As the tears rolled down his care worn face
As he quickly rushed outside
From the baggage coach along the way
A box lowered to the ground
The scene it was most stricken there
To all who gathered round

Don’t handle it too roughly men
It contains my darling Jack
Who left as well as you are now
See how he’s coming back
He broke his dear old mothers heart
Her warning had come true
She said she’d never see him again
When he joined the Boys in Blue