Once Upon a Railroad Songtext
von Ian Tamblyn

There′s a train standing in the station
The conductor, he's calling, "All aboard!"
There′s only one thing wrong once this train is gone
It won't be back no more

And it's pulling from the station, heading down the track
The whistle on the train cries, "I ain′t comin′ back!"
Once it was a railroad, once it was a train
Once it was this country's national dream

From the east to the west, one thin line
A wail in the night crying one last time
Hurry to your windows, have you heard the news?
The train l ride got the steel rail blues
And it′s goin', yes, it′s goin', it′s goin', and it's gone

There′s a woman sitting in the dome car
Some kids are waving from the hill
There′s a penny on the track now squashed big and flat
But you know — it don't pay the bills


From east to west, one thin line
A wail in the night, and it′s crying one more time
Now, hurry to your windows, have you heard the news?
This train l ride has got the steel rail blues

Now, it's first call, first call to the diner
With a silver tray on white
Past Superior′s shores, the diesel's strain and roar
A silver band of light

From east to west, one thin strand
Join us together this impossible land
For we are nothing without our dreams
Through the heart of it all rolls the railroad train

Now, it′s three days, three days in the club car
What's this village called a train?
Past one horse prairie towns once this train is gone
Who's going to call their name?

From east to west, one thin line
A wail in the night, oh come on now, one more time
Now, hurry to your windows, have you heard the news?
This train l ride has got the steel rail blues


Now, the train, it′s cutting through the Rockies
Long curves huggin′ to the track
How did they do what we're passing through?
But, you know, won′t be coming back!

From east to west, one thin line
A wail in the night, and it's crying one more time
Now, hurry to your windows, have you heard the news?
This train l ride has got the steel rail blues
And it′s goin', it′s goin', it's goin′, and it′s gone

There's a train standing in the station
The conductor, he′s calling, "All aboard!"
There's only one thing wrong — the train has long since gone
And it won′t be back no more