Lyrics Bill Withers

Bill Withers

Railroad Man

When I was a little boy back in West Virginia

We lived very close to a railroad track

And I remember I used to dream about them trains

And where they might go

And the people that worked on the trains

And the train made music, it made you feel good

I can remember sometimes

I could just stand off all by myself

And just get funky listenin' to the train

And I used to pick up a handful of gravels

And throw 'em down on the ground for ties

Yeah, and I'd make up songs, I'd sing

He was a railroad man

He was a railroad man

He was a railroad man

'Til he stepped in front of the railroad train

He rode across the plains

He rode on a fruit freight train

The hauled bananas to Savannah

And wore bandannas made in old Japan

He was a railroad man

He was a railroad man

And a railroad man

'Til he stepped in front of the railroad train

He used to change his name

To every place he came

You know, his name was Tex when he's in Texas

And Bangor when he went to Maine

And a railroad man

No, he was a railroad man

And a railroad man

'Til he stepped in front of the railroad train

Used to change his name

To every place he came

You know, his name was Tex when he's in Texas

And Bangor when he went to Maine

He rode across the plains

He rode on a fruit freight train

The hauled bananas to Savannah

Wore bandannas made in old Japan

And he was a railroad man

He was a railroad man

Oh, a railroad man

'Til he stepped in front of the railroad train

Used to change his name

... to every place he came

His name was Tex when he's in Texas

And Bangor when he went to Maine

You know, he was a good time railroad man

Good time railroad man

Oh, a railroad man

'Til he stepped in front of the railroad train

It's alright

Say you know it's alright

If you've ever been downtown

You know what I'm talkin' 'bout

You know, he was a good time railroad, road

Good time railroad man

Oh, a railroad man

'Til he stepped in front of the railroad train

He used to change his name

To each and every place he came

You know, his name was Tex when he's in Texas

And Bangor when he went to Maine

He rode across the plains

He rode, he rode on a fruit freight train

The hauled bananas to Savannah

And wore bandannas made in old Japan

Oh, railroad man

Oh, railroad man

Oh, railroad man

Stepped in front of the railroad train