Waiting on a Train -

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

Love the unique syncopation and talking blues type rendering.
Great performances throughout the song. Harkens back to a time when the story and the music aided by a soulful interpretation went a long way, hope this one takes you far. Great Job!!

Hooked from the get go. Voice is unique in a truly singular way. I wish i could understand the lyrics in the chorus better. I like the laid back delivery of the verses, it sounds like you're just talking to the listener, which is very endearing. I could definitely hear this song on my local indie station. The organ is good, but a little low to the point where it is unclear, almost distracting. However the song definitely has an esoteric feel, and is really upbeat despite being subdued. Excellent!

Great vocals and harmonies. Great lyrics. Nice melody and hook. Good instrumentation.

kind of got a bluesy vibe Arlo Guthrie comes to mind... nice vocal and nice attitude... God Bless.

Lyrics Ken Lehnigs Music Ken Lehnig
Producer Ken Lehnig, John Hildebrand Publisher Desert Windsong Publishing
Performance See album cover Label American Windsong Music

Waiting on a Train

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