So many songs about trains
Hear that lonesome whistle blow
I knew that sound
It was a comfort to my ears
   
Gigantic black steam locomotive pulling cars
Chugging through our little town
Engineer man knew how to drive it
Pull the passenger cars freight cars and the caboose  

Rode that train many times
Even a few times alone without Ma
My eight year-old self feeling so confident
Made friends with a soldier who taught me card tricks  

All the songs seemed to be written
by folks just like me who grew up
listening to that long lonesome sound
Bought our ticket rode the rails out of town   

Always to come back to my familiar
old depot with its hard wood benches
Mister DeGroot the depot agent
waiting right there by the door