Tom O'Brien - Train info, credits, lyrics, and comments at IndieMusicPeople

Tom O'BrienTrain Acoustic Ballad

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song created

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 7:18:15 AM

song updated

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 7:21:34 AM

stations playing this song

Over The Moon

Aberdeen Scotland Europe The World

RIVER FM - a Desperado Revue station

MATINEE FM - a Desperado Revue station

GO FM - a Desperado Revue station

Desperado Revue 2025 GK Contenders - 5

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A song that sounds 100 years old - an old-time ballad from another time.

Written, Performed, and produced by Tom O'Brien

I recently found out that one of my great-grandfathers was an engineer on the Transcontinental Railroad. He moved to Oakland, California, the railroad's western terminus, in 1870, and I was just imagining his first of many journeys across the country. Suppose he left the snowy East and arrived in California on a 70 degree winter day. Of course he would want to stay!

My body is a freight train
My brain's the engineer
Been rollin' down that same old track
Year after year
I watch those switches pass me by
And wonder where they go
Down railroads less traveled by
That I may never know
But, there's somewhere that I gotta be
Before the day is through
Somewhere my lover waits for me
Somewhere, my lover true

And I'm on my way to California
Where there's sunshine all year long
And a man can strike it rich there
Cuz the land is good and strong

My daddy crossed the ocean
Now I have crossed the plain
From Omaha to Oakland
Then I drive her back again
But, I don't run the railroad, so I
Just go where they say
But, someday I won't go back again
I swear, by God, I'll stay
In California sunshine with my
True love by my side
I can't believe we got here, and I
Sure enjoyed the ride

And I'm on my way to California
Where there's sunshine all year long
And a man can strike it rich there
Cuz the land is good and strong. x

Song Comments

Desperado Revue 2025 GK Contenders - 5
Contender for 2025 GK nomination - Folk/Acoustic Rock/Americana

Over The Moon
What a great new track by Tom - very interesting chord sequences and a real ballad feel.....