Railroad Man
I feel like an old railroad man
Ridin' out on the Bluemont Line
Hummin' along Old Dominion Blues
Not much to see, and not much left to lose
And I know I can walk along the tracks
It may take a little longer
But I know how to find my way back
I feel like an old railroad man
Who's really tried the best that he can
To make his life add up to something good
But this engine no long burns on wood
And I guess I may never understand
The times that I live in
Are not made for a railroad man
I feel like an old railroad man
Gettin' on board at the end of an age
The station's empty and the whistle blows
Things are faster now
This train is just too slow
And I know I can walk along the tracks
It may take a little longer
But I know how to find my way back
song performed by by Eels
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
The Railroad
Up each morning at five oclock,
Seem like the noon-day sun aint never gonna stop.
The work is hard in a railroad yard,
Hey, hey, gotta make it today to punch a time card.
Workin on the railroad.
Chorus
Oh, you know, the railroad is a mighty good line,
Come on and ride the railroad, one more time.
Oh, you know, the railroad is a mighty good line,
Come on and ride the railroad, one more time.
Dirt and sweat, runnin down my back,
Workin on the railroad.
Work all day long up and down the railroad tracks.
Workin on the railroad.
Im a God fearing man, and with many I stand,
Workin on the railroad.
And with God weve been working, all hand in hand.
Workin on the railroad.
Chorus
Oh, you know, the railroad is a mighty good line,
Workin on the railroad.
Come on and ride the railroad, one more time.
Workin on the railroad.
Oh, you know, the railroad is a mighty good line,
Come on and ride the railroad, one more time.
song performed by by Grand Funk Railroad
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Railroad
Im packin my bags and goin home
I been here too long
So happy , Ill get there on my own , mmm..
Been here for reasons right or wrong
So Im packin my bag and Im gettin home
So Ill walk by the railroad anytime, anytime
Walk by the railroad anytime
Tell my brother and my sister that evrythings gone wrong
But Im walkin by that railroad till Im home
Theres been lies told in my story
But aint juiced none of that glory
But still, I served my time
And theres no use in cryin
cause Im walkin by that railroad till Im home
So Ill walk by the railroad anytime , anytime
Walk by the railroad anytime
Tell my women that I missed her
That I cant wait to kiss her
So Im walkin by that railroad till Im home
Yes Ill walk by the railroad anytime , anytime
Walk by the railroad anytime
Tell my women that I missed her
And I cant wait to kiss her
cause Im walkin by that railroad till Im home
Yes Im walkin by that railroad till Im home
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Midnight Train
The Midnight Train to nowhere is boarding-
My life-long luggage has already been brought on-
The tracks of non-mobility are ready and waiting-
To sings its droning railroad song;
Its quite catchy to the ears they tell me-
As the trains roars itself in place upon the tracks-
Bidding my final farewells to everyone-
Turning my head-with plans to never look back;
They say that this train will get you nowhere-
And you know i believe this to be true-
Non-riding the tracks-ignoring the facts-
I'm on my way back home to you;
You are at the end of my nowhere-
Been there for so very long-
Just biding your time with your prose and rhyme-
While i write this here Railroad Song;
Oh -the Midnight Train to nowhere is not flyin'-
In stationary movement upon its nowhere tracks-
Hummin' its Chatanooga Choo Choo melody-
And me-vowing never to look back;
Staying in one place-stationary-
Really movin' nowhere in real time-
Know that you are there waitin' on me-
Writin' your rhyme at the end of the line;
Just A Silly Poem.
June 22,2010
poem by Theodora Onken
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Railroad Bill
Railroad bill were gonna railroad bill
He never works and he never will
Im gonna ride on a railroad bill
Im gonna ride on a railroad bill
Railroad bill he was a mighty bad man
Kill anybody that he think he can
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Im singin railroad bill,
Im talkin railroad bill, uh-huh-huh
He never worked and he never will
Im gonna ride on railroad bill, yeah
(cmon) Im gonna ride on railroad bill
Well old railroad bill he done stole my wife
Im gonna check him down Im gonna take his life
Gonna ride on railroad bill
Gonna ride railroad bill
Im singin railroad bill
On a railroad bill
He never worked and he never will
Im gonna ride on railroad bill
Im gonna ride on railroad bill
Railroad bill he was a mighty bad man
Kill anybody that he think he can
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Gonna ride railroad bill
Im talkin railroad bill
I love him railroad bill
Uh-huh-huh
He never worked and he never will
Gonna ride on railroad bill
Yeah, gonna ride on railroad bill
Well Im goin up the mountain
Yes Im goin out west
I got a mighty big pistol
Stickin out of my vest
Gonna ride old railroad bill
Gonna ride (alright)
Railroad bill, I love that railroad bill
Uh-huh-huh
He never works and he never will
Im gonna ride on a railroad bill
Im gonna ride on railroad bill
song performed by by Van Morrison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Boomers Story
(traditional, adapted by ry cooder)
Come and gather all around me
Listen to my tale of woe
Got some good advice to give you
Lots of things you oughta know
Take a tip from one whos travelled
And never stopped a-ramblin round
cause once you get the roamin fever
You never want to settle down, boy
You never want to settle down
I met a little gal in frisco
And I asked her to be my wife
Told her I was tired of roamin
Goin to settle down for life
Then I heard the whistle blowin
And I knew it was the red ball train
And I left that gal beside the railroad
And I never saw the gal again, boy
I never saw the gal again
Saw the gal again
I never saw the gal again
Left that gal beside the railroad
And I never saw the gal again
Travelled all over the country
Ive travelled everywhere
I been on every branch line railroad
And I never paid a nickel fare
I been from maine to californy
And from canada to mexico
I never tried to save no money
And now I got no place to bo, boy
Now I got no place to go
Listen to a boomers story
Pay attention to what I say
Well, I hear another train a-comin
Guess Ill be on my way
If you wanna do me a favor
When I lay me down and die
Just dig my grave beside the railroad
So I can hear the trains go by, boys
So I can hear the trains go by
Hear the trains go
Hear the trains go by
Just dig my grave beside the railroad
So I can hear the trains go by
song performed by by Ry Cooder
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Freight Train Blues
(c) i was born in dixie in a boomer's shack,
Just a little old shanty by a (g7) railroad (c) track,
The hummin' of the drivers was my lullaby,
And a freight train whistle taught me (g7) how to (c) cry.
Chorus:
(c) i've got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
Got 'em in the bottom of my (d7) ramblin' (g7) shoes,
And (c) when that whistle blows, i've gotta go, (c7)
(f) oh! lordy! (c) guess i'm never gonna (a7) lose,
The (d7) mean old (g7) freight train (c) blues.
(c) now my pappy was a fireman and my mammy dear,
Was the only daughter of an (g7) en-gin- (c) eer,
My sister married a brakeman and it ain't no joke,
Now it's a shame the way she keeps a (g7) good man (c) broke.
Chorus: (one word changed, that whistle, to, the whistle.)
(c) i've got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
Got 'em in the bottom of my (d7) ramblin' (g7) shoes,
And(c) when the whistle blows, i've gotta go, (c7)
(f) oh! lordy! (c) guess i'm never gonna (a7) lose,
The (d7) mean old (g7) freight train (c) blues.
song performed by by Hank Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Railroad Days
Jan would climb up so high on the foul screen
Down below I would yell to watch out
When we'd play ? was always the winner
He was brave never listened to me shout
Afternoons playin' ball by the old wall
Hidin' out and of course be the star
Kept my records in old looseleaf notebooks
And today I think I still know where they are
Oh, Railroad days
Railroad days
Railroad days
When I was young, in my prime
On my way
When the rain never got in my way
oh in my younger railroad days
Some nights, Drifters playin' on the hi-fi
Talkin' 'bout girls, or preposterous lies
Laughin hard, watchin' Soupy at eleven
Skonkin' down, one of Mom's lemon pies
Ten o'clock, bringin' groceries from the market
Singin songs, to the darkness of the night
Even sang the parts the instruments were playing
Life was freer, dreams were really quite all right
Oh, Railroad days
Railroad days
Railroad days
When the sun seemed to smile on it's way
When the darkness was easier to play yeah
oh in my younger railroad days
Yesterday, I heard they shut the trains down
The ones than ran, by the field where I would play
Said the folks want new and faster transportation
It's just like me, I'll be obsolete one day
Oh, Railroad days
Railroad days
Railroad days
When I was young, in my prime
On my way
When the rain never got in my way
oh in my younger railroad days
song performed by by Bob Seger
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Mellow My Mind
Baby mellow my mind
Make me feel like a schoolboy on goodtime
Jugglin nickels and dimes
Satisfied with the fish on the line
Ive been down the road and Ive come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Aint got nothin on those feelings that I had
Something so hard to find
A situation that could casualise your mind
Ive been down the road and Ive come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Aint got nothin on those feelings that I had
Ive been down the road and Ive come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Aint got nothin on those feelings that I had
Baby mellow my mind
Make me feel like a schoolboy on good time
Jugglin nickels and dimes
Satisfied with a fish on the line
song performed by by Simply Red
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Thr Railroad Tracks
Who lived across the railroad tracks?
A few of us whites, but mostly blacks.
These railroad tracks without even knowing
separated my town and kept it growing
into a segregated place.
I used to listen for the sound of the train.
As it rolled on by, it would never remain.
It just kept rolling to where it was going.
The engineer waved. The smoke kept blowing
into a segregated place.
Even when the trains stopped the rolling
the tracks will still there.They were controlling
the thinking of the people in our town.
So they kept the tracks there, never tore them down
in our segregated place.
Some were on the right side of the tracks, you see.
Some were on the wrong side of the tracks, like me.
They never took the tracks down from 60 years ago.
And the town I grew up in doesn't want to know
it's a segregated place.
poem by Edwina Reizer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Rumblin' Ramblin'
I hear the train a-calling me,
I hear the engine and the steam.
You know there's only one person leaving, and that's me.
I need to find a new world,
With all the riches and the girls,
You know they say that I'm a ramblin' man, that's me.
Rumblin' ramblin' down that mountain,
Railroad track, I'm never coming back,
There ain't enough places in the world for a ramblin' man.
I'm walking through the windy beach,
Now I can feel a chilly breeze,
You know Sweden or Mexico looks good to me.
The captain shouted 'All aboard',
And now I'm looking to the port,
You know where that captain's sailing to suits me.
Rumblin' ramblin' down that mountain,
Railroad track, I'm never coming back,
There ain't enough places in the world for a ramblin' man.
Rumblin' ramblin' down that mountain,
Railroad track, I'm never coming back,
There ain't enough places in the world for a ramblin' man.
song performed by by Zutons
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Hank Williams Version Of Freight Train Blues
Freight train blues written by john lair 1935. recorded by roy acuffs
Crazy tennesseans 1936, dynamite hatcher vocal, acuff mimics the train
Whistle.
This is hank williams 1939-40 version on the 10 cd box set from mercury.
(c) I was born in dixie in a boomers shack,
Just a little old shanty by a (g7) railroad (c) track,
The hummin of the drivers was my lullaby,
And a freight train whistle taught me (g7) how to (c) cry.
Chorus:
(c) Ive got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
Got em in the bottom of my (d7) ramblin (g7) shoes,
And (c) when that whistle blows, Ive gotta go, (c7)
(f) oh! lordy! (c) guess Im never gonna (a7) lose,
The (d7) mean old (g7) freight train (c) blues.
(c) now my pappy was a fireman and my mammy dear,
Was the only daughter of an (g7) en-gin- (c) eer,
My sister married a brakeman and it aint no joke,
Now its a shame the way she keeps a (g7) good man (c) broke.
Chorus: (one word changed, that whistle, to, the whistle.)
(c) Ive got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
Got em in the bottom of my (d7) ramblin (g7) shoes,
And(c) when the whistle blows, Ive gotta go, (c7)
(f) oh! lordy! (c) guess Im never gonna (a7) lose,
The (d7) mean old (g7) freight train (c) blues.
song performed by by Hank Williams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man
(traditional)
Good morning, mr. railroad man
What time do your trains roll by ?
"at 9:16 and 2:44 and 25 minutes 'till 5"
"at 9:16 and 2:44 and 25 minutes 'till 5"
Thank you, mr. railroad man
I want to watch your trains go by
Standing on a platform, smoking a cheap cigar
And waiting for an old freight train that carries an empty car
Well, i pulled my hat down over my eyes
And i walked across the tracks
And i caught me the end of an old freight train
And i never did come back
Well, i sat down in a gamblin' game
But i could not play my hand
I was thinkin' about the woman i loved
Run away with another man, poor boy
Run away with another man
I was thinking about the woman that i loved
Run away with another man
song performed by by Ry Cooder
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Mellow My Mind
Baby mellow my mind,
Make me feel like a schoolboy on good time,
Jugglin nickels and dimes,
Satisfied with the fish on the line.
Ive been down the road and Ive come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Aint got nothing on those feelings that I had.
Something so hard to find,
A situation that can casualize your mind.
Ive been down the road and Ive come back
Lonesome whistle on the railroad track
Aint got nothing on those feelings that I had.
Baby mellow my mind,
Make me feel like a schoolboy on good time,
Jugglin nickels and dimes,
Satisfied with the fish on the line.
song performed by by Neil Young
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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On Time
I aint got time , only got a dime to make a last call
Im gettin soaking wet and it aint rained yet since last fall
I got myself a coach ticket on the southern railroad line
I dont have to worry cause I know it never leaves on time
Late last night we made love and evrything was all right
You walked out the door and the only thing I saw was the hall light
I got myself a coach ticket on the southern railroad line
I dont have to worry cause I know it never leaves on time
(break)
Why didnt you see that you dont feel the same way as I do
I understood before that you couldnt take much more as I knew
I got myself a coach ticket on the southern railroad line
I dont have to worry cause I know it never leaves on time
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Barricades & Brickwalls
Barricades and brickwalls won't keep me
from you
You can tie me down on the railroad
track
You can let that freight train lose
Iron bars and big ole cars
Won't run me out of town
I'll be damned if you're not my man
Before the sun goes down
You can chain me down
On the edge of town
You can leave me there to die
But the railroad track
Will bring me back
When the lonesome whistle cries
You can lock me out
You can scream and shout
You can try to change your name
But by the end of the day
I'll take you away
Like a force 10 hurricane
song performed by by Kasey Chambers from Barricades & Brickwalls
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Let It Rock
In the heat of the day, down in mobile, alabama
Workin on the railroad with a steel drivin hammer
Tryin to get some money, get some brand new shoes
Tryin to find a lady, chase away my blues
Hot and wasted lord sweatin in the sun
cause Im not a foreman till my work is all done
Later in the evening when the sun is sinking low
Ill be out there waitin for the whistle to blow
Sittin in the teepee smokin out on the track
Rollin them bones (meaning dice) till my foreman get back
Suddenly I hear the breakman up and shout
Theres a non-stop train comin two miles out
Everybody jumpin and a scrambling around
Tryin to get the line an get the teepee down
Railroad owners bout to go insane
Tryin to get the workers out the way of the train
Here come the engineer honk his horn
He got a non-stop train, we got to let it roll on!
song performed by by Bob Seger
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Wont Be Long
(j. l. mcfarland)
Baby, here I am
A-by the railroad track
Oh, waitin for my baby
Hes a-comin back
A-comin back to me
On 5:03, eah
And it wont be long, no, no
It wont a-be long
I get so lonesome
Since hes been gone
There aint a thing worth mentioning
No, a-been goin on
And thats a-why I know
When the whistle blows, yeah
And it wont be long, no, no
It wont be long
My daddy told me
When he said goodbye, yes he did
Ill be back, baby
Oh, baby, bye and bye
Thats why Ive waited
So doggone long, yeah
A-cant you see how happy I am
Because my man is a-comin back?
So now here Ill be
A-by the railroad track
Oh, waitin for my baby, yeah
Hes a-comin back
A-comin back to me
On 5:03, hey
And it wont be long, no, no
It wont a-be long
I aint had no lovin
Since you know when
Hes a lonesome old rooster
And Im a lonesome hen
Thats a-why I know, yeah
When the whistle blows, yeah
And it wont a-be long, no, no
It wont be long
Mmm, Im so excited
My knees are shakin, yeah
Mr. engineer, oh, dont you keep me waitin
Hear me tellin you
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry
A-baby, here I am
Oh, by the railroad track, yeah
Waitin for my baby
Hes a-comin back
A-comin back to me
Lord, on 5:03, eah
And it wont be long, hey
And it wont be long
And thats why I know
When the whistle blows, yeah
It wont a-be long, no, no
It wont be long
I dont know about you
But I know when the whistle blows, eah
And it wont be long, no
It wont be long
Hey, it wont be long
Mr. engineer
Tell me it wont be long
It wont be long
All right
And it wont be long
A-here it comes now
And it wont be long
Comin back to me
And it wont be long
Hurry
song performed by by Dusty Springfield
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Let It Rock
Well up in the evening down in Mobile, Alabama
Working on the railroad with the steel driving hammer
Gotta make some money to buy some brand new shoes
Trying to find somebody to take away these blues
"She don't love me" hear them singing in the sun
Payday's coming and my work is all done
Later in the evening when the sun is sinking low
All day I been waiting for the whistle to blow
Sitting in a tepee built right on the tracks
Rolling them bones until the foreman comes back
Pick up you belongings boys and scatter about
We've got an off-schedule train comin two miles about
Everybody's trembling and running around
Picking up their money, tearing the tepee down
Foreman wants a penny (?) about to go insane
Trying to get the workers out the way of the train
Engineer blowing the whistle loud and long
Can't stop the train, gotta let it roll on
song performed by by Grateful Dead
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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God Of The Sun
Written by gerry beckley, 1977
Found on harbor and highway.
God of the sun
Dont make me wait till the morning comes
Light in the sky
Look me in the eye, eye, eye, eye
Dont, keep me waiting around
Too much longer now
Dont, dont keep me waiting around, around, around, around
When I called you from my river of darkness
An echo was all that came back
Saw you wave goodbye
Down the railroad track
Sometimes when youre out and all alone
And you cant find your way back
Wonder if youll ever make it home
God of the sun
Ill be around till the days begun
One sight of your ray
Takes the night away, away, away, away
Oh, but when I walk through that door
Take my hat and my coat off waiting for you to call
I tell you not right now, lady, I got work on my mind
And Ill talk to you soon
Always remember
When I called you from my river of darkness
An echo was all that came back
I saw you wave goodbye
Down the railroad track
Sometimes when youre out and all alone
And you cant find your way back
Wonder if well ever make it home
No more
song performed by by America
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Railroad Lady
By: jimmy buffett, jerry jeff walker
1973
Shes a railroad lady
Just a little bit shady
Spendin her days on the trains
Shes a semi-good looker
But the fast rails they took er
Now shes tryin, just tryin to get home again
South station in boston to the freightyards of austin
From the florida sunshine to the new orleans rain
Now that the railpacks
Has taken the best tracks
Shes tryin, just tryin to get home again
Shes a railroad lady
Just a little bit shady
Spendin her life on a train
Once a pullman car traveller
Now the brakeman wont have er
Shes tryin, just tryin to get home again
Once a high ballin loner he thought he could own er
Bought her a fur and a big diamond ring
She hocked em for cold cash
Left town on the wabash
Never thinkin, never thinkin of home way back then
But the rails are now rusty
The dinin cars dusty
Gold plated watches have taken their toll
Yeah the railroads are dyin
And the lady shes cryin
On a bus to kentucky and home thats her goal
Shes a railroad lady
Just a little bit shady
Spendin her life on a train
Shes a semi-good looker
But the fast rails they took er
Now shes tryin, just tryin to get home again
Coda:
Yes on a bus to kentucky and home once again
song performed by by Jimmy Buffett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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