Lyric discussion by dontgetsentimental 

Cover art for Downbound Train lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

"Then I heard that long whistle whine. And I dropped to my knees, hung my head, and cried" could be a Johnny Cash reference to Folsom Prison Blues :"When i hear that whistle blowin I hang my head and cry."

@dontgetsentimental Whining, mournful railroad whistles are a common theme in American folk music. One example is Roy Acuff’s “Just to Ease My Worried Mind” (1942): “Can’t you hear that whistle blowing, can’t you hear that lonesome whine.”