The third verse about the train is very specific regarding the 21 coaches drawn by two engines. Who in history had such a train to carry their bones away? Robert F. Kennedy.
"On June 8, 1968, the 21 car funeral train of Robert F. Kennedy left New York City for Washington, DC. The train was led by GG1 number 4901 with number 4903 trailing, and ended with Penn Central open-platform business car number 120 carrying the body of the late Senator."
The line "21 coaches bend" also seems to be another reference to the event in that a tragic occurrence happened to spectators who stood on an adjacent track to get a better look at the special train as it rounded a curve that day:
"At Elizabeth, NJ, the crowd moved onto the tracks to get a view of the special train, just as "The Admiral", heading to New York City from Chicago, was rounding a curve. "The Admiral's" GG1 sounded its horn, but some of the people in the crowd did not clear the track in time and sadly two were killed and four seriously injured."
The third verse about the train is very specific regarding the 21 coaches drawn by two engines. Who in history had such a train to carry their bones away? Robert F. Kennedy.
"On June 8, 1968, the 21 car funeral train of Robert F. Kennedy left New York City for Washington, DC. The train was led by GG1 number 4901 with number 4903 trailing, and ended with Penn Central open-platform business car number 120 carrying the body of the late Senator."
The line "21 coaches bend" also seems to be another reference to the event in that a tragic occurrence happened to spectators who stood on an adjacent track to get a better look at the special train as it rounded a curve that day:
"At Elizabeth, NJ, the crowd moved onto the tracks to get a view of the special train, just as "The Admiral", heading to New York City from Chicago, was rounding a curve. "The Admiral's" GG1 sounded its horn, but some of the people in the crowd did not clear the track in time and sadly two were killed and four seriously injured."