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Boom Gone Bust Lyrics by James Keelaghan

History: The First 25 Years

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[Verse 1]
My dad started east sometime in the 30s
With the On-to-Ottawa men
He'd enough of the camps and the dole and the handouts
He wanted to work and to tie the loose ends
He drifted from factory to foundry to flop-house
The war sorted out what mere men could not
In Sudbury's forges he worked like a madman
Those years lost to hunger, dad never forgot
[Verse 2]
I headed west when I had turned twenty
When the factories and foundries had closed
And in my mind's eye I thought I might settle
Out here where my father was raised and was born
I worked as a jug-head, a roughneck, a bouncer
I worked where I wanted, I drew damn good pay
Saw no end to our luck and so we just pushed it
But OPEC and mortgages ate it away
[Chorus]
Now the boom's gone to bust
And we're down on the dole boys
No treasure laid up, but family and friends
Its pull up stakes now or pull up stakes later
For a laboring man the road never ends
[Verse 3]
It seems to me somehow, this nation of migrants
From father to daughter, from mother to son
Must constantly shift from the east or the west
'Til we run out of work or of places to run
Gone now the days when you live with your parents
And their parents before them were bred and were born
We must go where the work is to live any life boys
Bend like a willow to weather the strom
[Chorus]
Now the boom's gone to bust
And we're down on the dole boys
No treasure laid up, but family and friends
Its pull up stakes now or pull up stakes later
For a laboring man the road never ends
Yes, the boom's gone to bust
And we're down on the dole boys
For a laboring man the road never ends
Credits
James Keelaghan

James Keelaghan

About “Boom Gone Bust” by James Keelaghan

Read the complete lyrics to "Boom Gone Bust" by James Keelaghan from the album "History: The First 25 Years". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Boom Gone Bust" is performed by James Keelaghan. from the album "History: The First 25 Years" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Boom Gone Bust", explore more songs by James Keelaghan using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Boom Gone Bust" is credited to James Keelaghan. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Boom Gone Bust" appears on "History: The First 25 Years".

Visit the James Keelaghan artist page at /artist/james-keelaghan for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.