THE TRAINS GO ROLLIN’ BY – Copyright 1997 by Dave Saunders
Published by Sgt Joe Music (BMI)
From the Dave Saunders CD “Uncle John’s Tree”
Available for purchase from www.cdbaby.com
                                                     www.nashvilleim.com

The signal light starts flashing, the crossing gate goes down
The traffic stops to let the train go by
And as I count the freight cars I remember all the times
We sat and watched a train go rollin’ by

I listen to the rumble as the train rolls down the track
That runs across the pages of my mind
Back to the days when you drove me into town
Just to watch a train go rollin’ by

We’d go down to the depot when the evening freight was due
The stationmaster always knew my name
A young boy and his father, a young man and his son
Bound together by the magic of the train

The thunder of the engine, the pounding of the wheels
The screaming of the whistle split the sky
And all the world would tremble as we stood there side by side
Watching as that train went rollin’ by

Sometimes I’d dream of what it might be like to own a train
And ride the rails until the end of time
Then one Christmas morning, underneath the tree
I watched my special train go rollin’ by

A mighty railroad empire began to fill our home
Tracks and trains ran by on every side
And we’d sit there by the hour, when the evening meal was done
Watching as our trains went rollin’ by

But a boy became a man, and life began to change
And like the trains, the years went rollin’ by
And then that great conductor from the sky called out your name
And punched your ticket for that final one-way ride

Now as I sit here waitin’ for this crossing gate to rise
Countin’ all the freight cars goin’ by
Through the window of a toy store, with a tear-drop in my eye
I watch a little train go rollin’ by

I watch a little train go rollin’ by