Gold and Roses

Music and lyrics by Cruz Contreras

Ten thousand feet above them deep dark waters
There’s a land like I ain’t never seen
There’s silver and gold ‘midst a wild rose garden
Shining on the hillside for me

I set out from Eastern Kentucky
Said farewell to family and home
Then I headed west to seek my fortune,
Figured I could make it alone

But there ain’t no gold and there ain’t no roses
There ain’t no sunshine and there ain’t no rain
Only darkness, toils and troubles
Steal my life’s blood down in this vein
Steal my life’s blood vein by vein

I fell in with a stranger in Kansas City
He said “Son, now I’m a Union man.
I’ve a fine team of mules and rations for the winter;
Traveler, I sure could use a hand.”

When springtime broke on that western prairie
To them red rock hills I was bound
Now I’m digging for gold in an old rock garden
And nothing of worth I’ve found

But there ain’t no gold and there ain’t no roses
There ain’t no sunshine and there ain’t no rain
Only darkness, toils and troubles
Steal my life’s blood down in this vein
Steal my life’s blood vein by vein

Bridge:
Come on now baby can you save my soul
Traveled all across the country got to find that gold
One more shot of whiskey ‘fore I ask your man
For sixty-four dollars, got a brand new plan
Me and ol’ Frisco gonna climb up over town
Dig a hole in the mountain, we ain’t coming down
Take a look around and see what we can find,
I hope you like silver – we’ve got a brand new mine….

Well there ain’t no gold and there ain’t no roses
There ain’t no sunshine and I don’t care
Goodbye darkness, so long troubles,
One hundred thousand will buy my share,
One hundred thousand will buy my share