LARRY HIRSHBERG

 

Steam Locomotive

My father worked high in the cab of a steam locomotive
When he’d pull the cord, the whistle would scream
Every morning 5:22 he’d pull out
The bell and the rumble would enter my dreams

(chorus)
Steam locomotive not really gone
On the tracks of my sleep you roll on

At the end of the line was the town Old Forest Haven
That’s where my daddy got off of the train
He’d go down to that café for dinner
Back in the cab he’d crack the throttle and we’d roll again

Chorus

(bridge)
One morning I hid in the back with the brakeman
Old Forest Haven in mind
Dinner with daddy was all I could think of
As we pulled out onto the line…

Up through the curves we watched through the window
Dad’s locomotive, smooth drivers flyin’
Near Carroll’s Mill I felt the ground tremble
From the caboose we saw the landslide

Chorus

(bridge)
Daddy was buried right in the cab
Seventeen cars were all crushed
Only myself and my buddy the brakeman
In the hungry caboose were untouched…

The railroad took care of me and my mother
But it took them all summer to get the line cleared
And when it was over they sent us a blue diesel engine
To make the run between Old Forest Haven and here

Chorus