Story Behind The Song
No matter how bleak things seem, there is always hope.
Song Description
The story of a man and a woman who meet on a train platform and both are headed for a crossroad to meet a devil or an angel. They realize that their lives follow similar paths and share regret, yet find hope in the possibilities ahead.
| Song Length |
3:49 |
Genre |
Folk - Americana, Folk - Rock |
| Tempo |
Medium (111 - 130) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Passive, Worried |
Subject |
Regret, Luck/Coincidence |
| Similar Artists |
Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson |
Language |
English |
| Era |
1960 - 1969 |
| |
Lyrics
Waiting on a train
She was standing there in a red dress by the crossroad
I thought maybe I had seen her face before
In a church yard the face of sweet Mary
She crossed herself said I'm waiting for another door
I said that was a line I wrote in one of my old songs
She said can you remember please the next line or two
She said I need a hint 'cause I'm tired of the road I'm on
I said every word I sung my mind would undo
CHORUS
She was a lady waiting on a train, I was a man used to being in pain
When our cards lay down there weren't enough to go around
Now we are leaving with what little we have found.
So we sat down by my fire she gave my dog a little scratch
I said Saint Francis was the guy I was trying hard to match
I asked her if she wanted me to offer up a prayer or two
She said 'no' just a little bit of kindness will do
She said she used to be a dancer painted colors on the mind
With every move you could leave your trouble behind
I said I used to have hands that could build a dream
We were lost in regret two lives we could not redeem
CHORUS
She was a beauty queen with no where left to go
Her life was failed expectation win place or show
I'm a road torn preacher without a penny to my name
We were both hoping that heaven would take the blame
The moon grew full at the cross road we made a little bet
On whether it would be an angel or a devil that we met
An Angel appeared and said turn back the way we came
To throw away two good hearts would be a shame