Ballad of Robban’s First Ride

The winter came early in seventy two
With a hell of a storm coming down
And Mary and Tom bundled into the car
'Cause Mary was hospital bound

They didn't get far till the telephone rang
It was Tony and John on the line
"You'd better get over," said Tommy to John
"'Cause Mary has come to her time

A tree it has fallen athwart of the road
And we're stuck here and cannot get by"
So our two British stalwarts start driving again
Right into the hurricane's eye

They drove till they came to the Marlboro hill
And they helped Mary over the log
They couldn't turn round so they had to back down
It was nearly a mile to the road

They leaned on the horn and they drove like the wind
"You bastards get out of the way!
Cause the Toleno baby of Mary and Tom
Is due to be borning this day"

Said Mary, "I tell you the baby is here"
Said Tony, "Hold on for a bit
Brattleboro is some two miles away
And the hospital's farther on yet"

But the head of the baby emerged into view
And Tom took the shoulders in hand
And Tony and John are as white as a sheet
And driving as fast as they can

They wrapped the young creature in John's woolly coat
From his feet to his little round head
And the baby said, "Ma, what you doing out here!
You ought to be home in your bed"

They pulled up the car at the hospital door
And Tony he hardly could speak
"There's a baby was born in the back of our car!"
Said the nurse, "That's the third one this week"

The doctor he was the philosopher type
And his thinking was easy and large
"There's many a kid gets his first start in life
In the back of a second-hand Dodge."

They rolled out the gurney and brought in the two
Both mother and child doing fine
When the nurse asked the question, "Whose baby is this?"
All three of the men answered, "Mine!"

Then Tony and John went on down to the pub
To get them a jug of the brew
And they told all the folks who were drinking around
The story I'm telling to you

They told all the folks that were drinking around
Of the babe that was born on the road
And they all drank a toast to the health of the child
And the heroes who carried the load

Robban Anthony John who was born in the Dodge
That was the new baby's name
And the bartender set up the drinks on the house
And I hope you'll be doing the same