The thunder cracks against the night,
The dark explodes with a yellow light,
The railroad sign is flashing bright,
The people stare but I don't care,
My flesh is cold against my bones,
And Cheryl's going home.
Can you hear me shouting in the rain?
Is there a way to stop the train?
I've got some reasons to explain,
About the way I was today,
The whistle moans and I'm alone,
And Cheryl's going home.
Send a roving special down the line,
I'm running desperately behind,
There's only one thing on my mind,
As the rain and tears are in my eyes,
The things I have to say will not be known,
And Cheryl's going home.
She's going home tonight ok,
I'm running down the train tracks,
Lost because she's gone away oh yeah,
Cheryl baby I love you,
And all the things you've ever done for me that's true.
Then I see that look in your eyes,
My God I'm sad now, paralysed,
You're going away,
I'd hope you were gonna say,
I'm so sad you're going away,
'Cause that train,
That bloody train,
Is going chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff down the track,
It's going chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff down the track,
And Cheryl is going home,
Cheryl is going home,
Cheryl is going home tonight.
The thunder cracks against the night,
The dark explodes with a yellow light,
The railroad sign is flashing bright,
The people stare but I don't care,
My flesh is cold against my bones,
And darling Cheryl's going home.
The dark explodes with a yellow light,
The railroad sign is flashing bright,
The people stare but I don't care,
My flesh is cold against my bones,
And Cheryl's going home.
Can you hear me shouting in the rain?
Is there a way to stop the train?
I've got some reasons to explain,
About the way I was today,
The whistle moans and I'm alone,
And Cheryl's going home.
Send a roving special down the line,
I'm running desperately behind,
There's only one thing on my mind,
As the rain and tears are in my eyes,
The things I have to say will not be known,
And Cheryl's going home.
She's going home tonight ok,
I'm running down the train tracks,
Lost because she's gone away oh yeah,
Cheryl baby I love you,
And all the things you've ever done for me that's true.
Then I see that look in your eyes,
My God I'm sad now, paralysed,
You're going away,
I'd hope you were gonna say,
I'm so sad you're going away,
'Cause that train,
That bloody train,
Is going chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff down the track,
It's going chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff down the track,
And Cheryl is going home,
Cheryl is going home,
Cheryl is going home tonight.
The thunder cracks against the night,
The dark explodes with a yellow light,
The railroad sign is flashing bright,
The people stare but I don't care,
My flesh is cold against my bones,
And darling Cheryl's going home.
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This track appears on his DVD (John Otway – Beware of the Flowers) as part of one of two live shows included. Part of the way through John tells the band to “Shut Up” and addresses the audience. “This isn’t bloody funny! What do you do when your woman has gone away?”
“WANK!” they all reply in unison.
“No! No! because you’re crying – Look Cheryl was my baby. We used to sleep together – on really cold nights in December we’d just lie down and hold each other…. And then I had a hit and that train that bloody train went…….
This song was originally written by Bob Lind in 1966. Covered by Blues Project the same year and then by Adam Faith who got it to number 46 in the UK charts.