I'm a bum in the USA

The story:

I was at an amusement park. I pictured him, a bum, walking the streets of New York with a briefcase in his hand and his head held high. He'd just gotten to the USA and he had big dreams. His story was a tragic one, after his wife was killed by a flying opera singer in a fruit hat back on the streets of London, he'd had enough British bumming around. It was time he went American. Then I realized I was hearing it wrong. =[