Lyrics of 'Texas 1947' by Guy Clark

Bein' six years old I had seen some trains before
So it's hard to figure out what I'm at the depot for
Things're big and black and smokin' steam screamin' at the wheels
Bigger'n anything there is last that's the way she feels
Trains're big and black and smokin' louder'n July 4th
But everybody's actin' like this might be something more
Than just pickin' up the mail or the soldiers from the war
Somethin' even old man Wileman never seen before
And it's late afternoon on a hot Texas day
Somethin' strange was goin' on and we's all in the way

Now there's fifty or sixty people just sittin' on their cars
And the ole men left their domioes and come down from the bars
Everybody's checkin' old Jack Kittrell checks his watch
And us kids put our ears to the rails to hear 'em pop
So we already knowed it when they finally said train time
You'd've thought that Jesus Christ himself is rollin' down the line
Cause things got real quiet and mama jerked me back
But not before I got the chance to lay a nickel on the track oh

Look out here she comes she's comin' look out there she goes she's gone
Screamin' straight through Texas like a mad dog cyclone
Big and red and silver she don't make no smoke
She's a fast rollin' streamline come to show the folks
I said look out here she comes she's comin'
Look out there she goes she's gone
Screamin' straight through Texas like a mad dog cyclone
[ dobro ]
Lord she never even stopped
She left fifty or sixty people still sittin' on their cars
Wonderin' what it's comin' to and how it got this far
But me I got a nickel smashed flatter than a dime
By a mad dog runaway red silver streamline train
Look out here she comes she's comin'...
Look out here she comes she's comin'...
Look out here she comes she's comin'...