Nobody’s Child (1949)

AKA I’m Nobody’s Child
The Blind Child
First Published 1949
Writer/composer Cy Coben and Mel Foree Roud RN10718

Music Hall Performers none
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Dunphy, Francis ; Canada : Newfoundland : 1950/51
Brazil, Angela : England : Gloucestershire ; 1955
Myrick, Mike ; Canada : Newfoundland ; 1968
Keane, Christine / Keane, Dolores ; Ireland : Co. Galway : 1968
Hinchliffe, Frank England : Yorkshire : Sheffield ; 1970
Flynn, Mary ; MOLONEY, Mary ; Ireland : Dublin ; 1971
MacArthur, Brendan / MacArthur, Sears ; Canada : Newfoundland : 1972
Sinen, Marie ; Ireland : Co. Clare ; 1972
Cooley, Jack ; Ireland ; 1973
Ling, John England : Suffolk : Snape 1975-1980
Miller, Ron ; Canada : Ontario ; 1981
Stringer, Charlie ; England : Suffolk ; 1984
Black, Freda ; England : Hampshire ; 2012
Heaton, Ed ; USA : Tennessee ; no date
Spicer, Dorothy ; England : West Sussex ; no date

Modern performances: Hank Snow, Lonnie Donnegan, Hank Williams Jnr, The Beatles, Karen Young.

 

Nobody's Child (1949)
As performed by Hank Snow
Written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree

I was slowly passing an orphan's home one day
And stopped there for a moment just to watch the children play
Alone a boy was standing and when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that couldn't see and he began to cry

I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
I'm like a flower just growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smiles
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child

I just can't seem to understand
Why the folks all pass me by
'Cause I know that it's true that God takes
Little blind children with him in the sky

And they tell me that I'm oh so pretty
And they seem to like my big curls of gold
But then they take some other little child
And I'm left here all alone

People come for children and take them to their own
But they all seem to pass me by and leave me here alone
I know they'd like to take me but when they see I'm blind
They always take some other child and I am left behind

No mother's arms to hold me or soothe me when I cry
Sometimes it gets so lonely here I wish that I could die
I'd walk the streets of heaven where all the blinds can see
And just like for the other kids there'd be a home for me

No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smiles
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child

A Country and Western Song from the late 1940s, popular with many traditional singers on both sides of the Atlantic. Written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree, it seems to be unrelated to the Music Hall song of the same name, though the writers may have borrowed something of the chorus. It was first recorded by Canadian country music star Hank Snow but has been covered many artistes since – in the UK it appeared on Lonnie Donegan’s first album (1956) and in the US it was a country hit for Hank Williams Jnr in 1969.

Hank Snow’s original:

Lonnie Donegan sings it:

Sources: