a picture from life's other side

in the world's mighty gall'ry of pictures

hang the scenes that are painted from life

there's pictures of love and of passion

and there hangs a pictures of peace and of strife

there hangs pictures of youth and of beauty'

of old age and the blushing young bride. they all hang on the wall

aw

but the saddest of all

are the picture from life's other side. yes

the picture from life's other side

someone has fell by the way;

a life has gone out with the tide

aw

that may have been happy some day;

there a poor old mother at home

she's watching and waiting alone

just longing to hear from a loved one so dear

it's just a picture from life's other side. now the first scene is that of a gambler

who'd lost all of his money playin'

and then his draws his dead mother's ring from his finger

that she wore long ago on her wedding day. aw

it was his last earthly treasure

but he staked it

and then he bows his head that his shame he might hide

aw

but when they lifted his head

they found he was dead

that's just a picture from life's other side. now the last scene is set down by the river

of a heart-broken mother and babe

and as the harbor lights shine and they shiver

on an outcast that no one will save;

and yet she was once a true woman

she was somebody's darlin' and pride

god help her

she leaps

for there's no one to weep

it's just a picture from life's other side.