John Stetson Poet Lyric

Sluice Box 'Love and Peace of Mind'

Like a sluice box, you sift me out and wash me til I shine
The light that flows from your sweet eyes is "Welcome Home" in mine, "Welcome Home" in mine

When I get home no more to roam nor workin' in the mine
I'll settle down outside of town and love ya til I'm blind, love ya til I'm blind

I headed up from Boston for to lumber in the pines
When told they'd struck the mother lode out near the sunset line, out near the sunset line

So I packed a kit and set a bit in the first horse I could find
And I set my sights on the fading light and I left my love behind, I left my love behind

We made good time on a northern line til the track ran out of ties
As I broke my back layin' out the track you were always on my mind, always on my mind 

But I filled my poke midst the jibes and jokes movin' further down the line
And I headed west in a leather vest with a mind to silver mine, a mind to silver mine

When I got to the Rockies I found work in Telluride
But I found no gold and it got so cold that I nearly lost my mind, I nearly lost my mind

Then I heard the word from a west bound bird and I tailed on right behind
I set out square on an old brood mare, that's all that I could find, that's all that I could find

Past Placerville we rode until it got too steep to climb
But we followed that road to the Comstock lode and back down in the mine, back down in the mine

We made it through one cave-in but one caught us from behind
And I buried my friend down at the end of another rich man's mine, another rich man's mine

So I buried the stake in a sad sad wake and I sought to clear my mind 
When someone said they'd found a bed out where the pickin's fine, out where the pickin's fine 

So I grabbed the stake left in the wake of the friend I'd left behind
And all the while I saw your smile and love still clouds my mind, love still clouds my mind 

Tommyknocker's fate awaits those fools who labor in the mines
I'll go no more to the company store and draw my pay in kind, draw my pay in kind

I'll make a stand where a man can pan and fate is smilin' kind
Til another placer town is found I'm bound to keep on keep on try'n, keep on keep on try'n

Since the gold bug bit I've scratched an itch I just can't leave behind
They started callin' me Pyrite cause fool's gold all I find, fool's gold's all I find

Some sourdough said you can rest your head in silk sheets soft and fine
There's Yukon gold where the weather's cold if you can stand the climb, if you can stand the clime

So I settled my debts on one last bet and I stiffened up my spine
And I saddled my horse for the cold blue north, leavin' Golden State behind, left Golden State behind 

In a whaling town a boat was bound for the trail I had in mind
And they set me off near a frozen cross and a faded trailhead sign, a faded trailhead sign

I piled my gear on a sled piled near up to the timberline
And I set out slow 'cuz the mule would go no faster than his time, no faster than his time

ritard
On Dead Horse Pass I saw the last of my mule in decline
He laid his head down by the sled and sighed his last goodbye, he sighed his last goodbye

BRIDGE
	I never saw the Dawson lights much less the Yukon gold
	And I nearly died of frostbite I can't take more of this cold
	My heart's so full of the Beantown pull there's a hole down in my soul
	I'll limp back down this sorry trail no riches as my goal, I just want to go home 

a tempo
Soon as I heal up I'll try to get some workin' here in town
If I can save a dollar I'll be good and Boston bound, good and Boston bound

Are you still waitin' for me with the love that we had found
I swear I'll never leave again I'll always be around, always be around

Like a sluice box, you sift me out and wash me til I shine
The love that lights up your sweet eyes will light these eyes of mine, please light these eyes of mine

When I get home no more to roam nor workin' in the mine
I'll settle down outside of town and love ya til I'm blind, love ya til I'm blind

ritard
Let's settle down outside of town in love and peace of mind, love and peace of mind

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