Freight Train
Journey of the Departed: Jerry Garcia's Poetic Railroad Reflections
Lyrics
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Expressing the speed and urgency of a freight train's movement.
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Repetition emphasizing the fast-paced nature of the freight train.
Please don't tell what train I'm on
Desire for anonymity, not wanting others to know one's current situation.
They won't know what route I'm going
Keeping one's plans and destination secret, maintaining a sense of mystery.
When I'm dead and in my grave
Reflecting on death and departure from the world of earthly pleasures.
No more good times here I crave
Expressing a lack of interest in future enjoyable experiences after death.
Place the stones at my head and feet
Traditional burial reference, indicating acceptance of mortality.
And tell them all I'm gone to sleep
Request to inform others of the departure in a peaceful manner.
When I die, oh bury me deep
Desire for a deep burial, perhaps symbolizing a wish for a quiet afterlife.
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
Specific location for burial, adding a personal touch to the request.
So I can hear old Number Nine
Expressing a desire to hear the sounds associated with a particular train.
As she comes rolling by
Imagining the comforting familiarity of a specific train passing by even in death.
When I die, oh bury me deep
Repetition of the wish for a deep burial and connection to a specific location.
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
Reiteration of the desire for specific placement of stones during burial.
Place the stones at my head and feet
Repeating the traditional burial reference, emphasizing the request for a quiet rest.
And tell them all I'm gone to sleep
Request to inform others of the departure in a peaceful manner, echoing line 9.
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Recalling the speed and urgency of the freight train, connecting to the beginning.
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Reiteration of the fast-paced nature of the freight train's movement.
Please don't tell what train I'm on
Repetition of the desire for anonymity, emphasizing the need for secrecy.
They won't know what route I'm going
Reiterating the idea of keeping one's plans and destination secret.
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