Rusty Rails
By Raymond Livingston
Verse 1
Rust on the tracks and the whistle’s cry,
Steel bones stretching ‘neath a crimson sky.
They built this land, brick by bloody hand,
But no one tips their hat to the working man.
Now I’m sitting here with a needle and shame,
Ain’t no glory, just a worn-out name.
The city hums, but my heart’s gone dry,
Dreamin’ of the rails where the moon rides high.
Chorus
Take me back to the iron rails and powder dreams,
Where the smoke rolls slow and the nights still gleam.
World’s gone cold, and the truth don’t mean a thing,
Yeah, I’d rather be a hobo than wear this diamond ring.
Verse 2
Folks talk progress like a preacher’s prayer,
But the old world’s fading into thin gray air.
Used to sing to the rhythm of that lonesome train,
Now it’s silence, debt, and a whiskey stain.
Verse 3
Maybe I’ll ride till the sun hits the coast,
Leave behind the ghosts I miss the most.
Trade this pain for a boxcar floor,
Where the railroad hums, I ain’t hurt no more.
Chorus
Take me back to the iron rails and powder dreams,
Where the smoke rolls slow and the nights still gleam.
World’s gone cold, and the truth don’t mean a thing,
Yeah, I’d rather be a hobo than wear this diamond ring.
Outro
The rails still whisper under midnight skies,
A lullaby for all who tried.
Ain’t no fame in the life I choose,
Just the rhythm of the tracks and the freedom I’ll lose.
