famous lashua
Country songs often deal with a railroad theme, and western songs frequently involve something supernatural. To a puerile extent and as a possibly calculated overkill, songwriter Famous Lashua (yes, it WAS his real first name!) combined this in a song included with Hank Snow's 1963 album "Railroad Man". I've always gotten a thing about trains, so I bought the LP because of the cover. Omigosh, what a treasure ... I laughed my head off. Reasonable adults releasing such balony? The entire album is ridiculous, and this song is on top of the exulting shit I sometimes perform suitably lit up.
it was early in the fall and a-blowing up a squall
from the trestle you could hear the weirdest moans
with a mighty lonesome cry came a whistle from the sky
and it chilled the very marrow in my bones
then a loud rushing roar like you never heard before
turned the blood to icy water in my veins
as I watched with rising fear something strange was drawing near
and I saw in the clouds ghost trains
ghost trains • ghost trains • what a fearful sight
"The Cannonball" and "Number Nine" were racing through the night
just as they passed me by I heard the engineer cry
"give her coal ! give her coal ! shovel it on !"
you could see the fireman grinning in the engine that was winning
but I knew before the finish they'd be gone
you could see the driver's roll as they shoveled on the coal
and the black smoke came pouring from the stacks
as they thundered through the sky • I am here to testify:
you could hear the wheels a-clicking on the tracks
through the smoke and the steam you could see the headlights gleam
now I have no proof but still the fact remains
you may doubt it but I swear : there were cinders in my hair
when I saw in the clouds ghost trains
:/:ghost trains • ghost trains...:/:
...as I watched I saw them fade into the dawn
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
Am Am7 Am it was early in the fall and a-blowing up a squall F E from the trestle you could hear the weirdest moans Am Am7 Am with a mighty lonesome cry came a whistle from the sky F E and it chilled the very marrow in my bones Am Am7 Am then a loud rushing roar like you never heard before F G turned the blood to icy water in my veins Dm Bb as I watched with rising fear something strange was drawing near A E7 Am and I saw in the clouds ghost trains Am ghost trains ghost trains what a fearful sight F G C The Cannonball and Number Nine were racing through the night Dm E7 Am just as they passed me by I heard the engineer cry D D7 G G7 give her coal ! give her coal ! shovel it on ! C C7 F you could see the fireman grinning in the engine that was winning E E7 Am but I knew before the finish they'd be gone
