When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man
So I got myself a shack, I did what I could
And I called my shack, "Break my back"
    Oh the land was sweet and good, I did what I could

When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man
So I got myself a cow, I did what I could
And I called my cow, "No milk now"
And I called my shack, "Break my back"
    Oh the land was sweet and good, I did what I could

When I first came to this land, I was not a wealthy man
So I got myself a duck, I did what I could
And I called my duck, "Hard luck"
And I called my cow, "No milk now"
And I called my shack, "Break my back"
    Oh the land was sweet and good, I did what I could

...
donkey, "Horse gone Wonky"
bed, "Rest my head"
wife, "Run for your life"
son, "My work done"

In American Favorite Ballads, Pete Seeger says Oscar Brand translated it from an old Pennsylvania Dutch song.

[Key D]