The Songs He Sang
Railroad Whistle: Lyrics
As performed by Cisco Houston (With Woody Guthrie and Sonny Terry)
Traditional
Appears on:And I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow It's that long lonesome train a-whistlin' down Well I've pawned you my wagon I'll pawn you my team Pawn you my watch and my chain If this train runs me right I'll see my woman Saturday night I'm nine hundred miles from my home And I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow It's that long lonesome train a-whistlin' down This train I ride on Is the fastest one of all You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles And the whistle as she blows is the lonesomeist of all You can hear that whistle blow a hundred miles It's that long lonesome train a-whistlin' down And I hate to hear that railroad whistle blow I am walkin' down this track I've got tears in my eyes Tryin' to read a letter from my home If this train runs right I'll see my woman Saturday night I'm tired of living like a dog It's that long lonesome train a-whistlin' down Boys I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow
Of note:
No glamor in this rambling life; just sadness and loneliness and hope. Sonny Terry's mharmonica plays all the clichéd railroad whistles, yet they work, and Woody's plaintive mournful vocals capture the sentiment well. The tune is the same one as 900 Miles, and the words are quite close, but there is no optmisim in this performance.
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