[benjo]

hey everyone this is about a guy goes from town to town
and through every city looking for the odd jobs no one else wants
loves his way of life, and wouldn't change it for anything
look forward to all your comments thank you,

  

    HOBO /  I RIDE THE RAILROADS
   ------ = = = = = = = = = = ------
          

      
 sat around the camp fire
 cooking up mulligan stew
 waiting on a freight train
 when the sun goes down its due

 telling each other stories
 share whiskey n roll up fags
 I carry everything I own
 in an old grey duffle bag

 seen all the sights
 rivers hills and fields
 I play my harmonica
 to the rhythm of those iron wheels
 
 I ride the railroads
 have all my life
 played cards for bottle tops
 weaving through the country side

 I ride the railroads
 its what I love and know
 don't rely on my company
 if a freight train calls I go

 I've rode in every boxcar
 bit into oil and grit
 rode out of every city
 crowned king in a town called Britt

 seen all the sights
 rivers hills and fields
 I play my harmonica
 to the rhythm of those iron wheels

 I ride the railroads
 have all my life
 played cards for match sticks
 weaving through the country side

 I ride the railroads
 its what I love and know
 don't rely on my company
 if a freight train calls I go
 
 lay around the camp fire
 flat cap pulled over my eyes
 shoes kicked off and snoring
 dreaming on another ride
  


 © copyright house all rights reserved
 








  

[hardtwistmusic]

Quite well done.  Captures the happy, free side of being "footloose and fancy free" quite well. 

You had a good concept, and communicated it well.  Now you need some music.  I'm awaiting that with anticipation.

[KEVIN B]

benjo my man,

i'm loving this one mate, got a good feel to it, flows along nicely.

you need some great music for this, to capture the mood of the song, it reads quite long, but depending on the tempo you have in mind, that shouldn't be a problem.

cant wait to hear what you come up with !!

loved it,

kev !

[Jess]

I couldn't relate to it, at all, but I thought it seemed pretty accurate. I love the little added details, like 'mulligan stew' (what is that!?) and 'playing cards from bottle tops' for me those little gems make the song.
I think the title should be 'I ride the railroads' without the hobo bit, I think that captures the song better.

[diademgrove]

Hi Benjo,

the only line I don't think works is "crowned king in a town called Britt". Seems unlikely and a bit forced to get the rhyme.

Feel free to ignore me,

diadem

[benjo]

hey guys

some great feed back on this lyric made up

HARDTWIST,  really happy you like this thank you for your comments

KENIN B,       cheers mate means a lot from you bud always a pleasure

JESS,            mulligan stew is what hobo's are known to eat thanks for reading

DIADEM,       the line about being crowned king in Britt is factual
 
                    the town called Britt is famous for welcoming hobo's there
                    they also nominate a king and queen, they can be married there too
                    in fact children are known to line up for their autographs
                    and they put on big spreads for them, and celebrate hobo's

                    hope that helps you a little Keith I do try to be factual its not easy
                    but I think it tells a truer better story,

                                  cheers all                     tony.
                   
                   
 

[PeeJay]

Hi Tony,

I like this. It paints a nice story of life on ‘those railroad tracks’

The only line I had a problem with was ‘share whiskey n roll up fags’. ‘Fags’ has entirely different meaning in America and the life of a hobo is US based.

This was good:

‘seen all the sights
rivers hills and fields
I play my harmonica
to the rhythm of those iron wheels’

Nice one,

Phil.

[diademgrove]

No problem Tony, nice to know it wasn't forced but unless you know the history it just sort of jumps out at yer. You could change "crowned king" to "welcomed". Rode could be interpreted as being rode out of town which would introduce a contrast between Britt and every other place. You could then add a verse explaining what happened to him and how he was crowned king.

It would make it a little longer but would stop people like me wondering whether the line was just inserted to rhyme.

Feel free to ignore me,

Keith

[benjo]

hey guys,

thanks for the great comments,

PEEJAY,    hey thank you so much you've given me something to think about there
               when I look now yeah I think in the US to roll a fag is mugging a gay person I think
               i'm gonna change that bit for now while I look into it
               I hope you read this and check out what I replace it with and give your opinion again pls
               
DIADEM   thanks Keith for your time reading and feed back
               I won't make changes to any facts and I defo wouldn't put a word in just to rhyme
               and to be honest not many songs or lyrics don't have things in that we don't know
               or are not aware of, cheers Keith,

                                             great feed back guys thanks,       tony.


                                                 

[diademgrove]

No problem Tony.

[BooBoo]

As always a good song. Lived the theme of it. It was so interesting to read. Really like this.

[Sing4me88]

Nice write Benjo. As I read the lyrics I was kinda reading them to  train type rhythm - guess the lyrics had that effect  on me!- and they flowed really well. I ike the fact that you've been able to show that while the guy is what people may consider a 'down and out' he is very happy with his life and that he has chosen to be 'free' ie 'if a freight train calls I go'. Favourite verse was the one 'I rode in every boxcar...' it managed to tell a really good story within the bigger story of the song!

Hope you get someone to take the lyrics and put music to them as it's a belter of a lyric just waiting for the right person to turn it into a song like a lot of your stuff of late has been as shown by how good the songs' that stem from your lyrics are

[benjo]

 thanks so much for the great feed back on this

 BOO,                made up you enjoyed this one thanks

 SING4ME88       so happy you related to this and felt the story
                         and yes someone is working on it as I write
                         thank you for reading and comments

                                                                 tony.

[Dogmax]

Well Tony

Just reading this remind me of that great classic City of New Orleans written by Steve Goodman and sang by the great Willie Nelson, i know they don't relate but it just has that great feel to it, American country classic, the Hobo King of the Rail Tracks.

Nice one Tony, looking forward to hearing it already   

[benjo]

hey pat

had some really great comments on this lyric

always means a lot to me to read your comments and feed back
made up you liked this,

it is being worked on at the moment

                        cheers pat,                       tony...