In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I jumped off a boxcar down around Tennessee
I was cold tired and dirty hungry as I could be
But I had my guitar and a hundred railroad songs
So I asked the policeman
Can I stay here long
He said Mr. Hobo you got to go now
We don't want you around
See I'm trying to build a respectable town
And we don't need a hobo like you around
So I left that town, Lord with my guitar in my hand
Still cold and tired, kinda mad at the man
But this life that I chose to live, sometime's strange
See I'm trying to learn about the old music from ridin' the train
I'm a hobo I know, but thta's the price I pay
Guess I'll write me another song while I'm on my way
Catch me another train and this is what I'll say
Mr Choo-choo train take me away
I'm goin' to ride this train Lord until I find out
What Jimmie Rogers and the Hag was all about
See I play this rock n roll and I think that's fine
But I want to go back a little further in time
I'm a hobo I know but that's the price I pay
Guess I'll write me another song while I'm on my way
Catch me another train and this is what I'll say
Mr Choo-choo train take me away
I was cold tired and dirty hungry as I could be
But I had my guitar and a hundred railroad songs
So I asked the policeman
Can I stay here long
He said Mr. Hobo you got to go now
We don't want you around
See I'm trying to build a respectable town
And we don't need a hobo like you around
So I left that town, Lord with my guitar in my hand
Still cold and tired, kinda mad at the man
But this life that I chose to live, sometime's strange
See I'm trying to learn about the old music from ridin' the train
I'm a hobo I know, but thta's the price I pay
Guess I'll write me another song while I'm on my way
Catch me another train and this is what I'll say
Mr Choo-choo train take me away
I'm goin' to ride this train Lord until I find out
What Jimmie Rogers and the Hag was all about
See I play this rock n roll and I think that's fine
But I want to go back a little further in time
I'm a hobo I know but that's the price I pay
Guess I'll write me another song while I'm on my way
Catch me another train and this is what I'll say
Mr Choo-choo train take me away
Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit
Railroad Song Lyrics as written by Ronnie Van Zant Edward C. King
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
good lyrics, but it's kinda got a strange beat to it.
One of LS's feel good songs, it's nice.