The Hobo Song
Wandering Souls: Exploring Freedom and Longing in Johnny Cash's 'The Hobo Song'
Lyrics
There was a time when lonely men would wander
Lonely men used to wander during a specific period in the past.
Through this land rolling aimlessly along
They roamed aimlessly across the land.
So many times I've heard of their sad story
The narrator has heard the sad stories of these men many times.
Written in the words of dead men's song
The stories were written in the words of songs by deceased individuals.
Down through the years many men
Over the years, many men desired freedom.
Have yearned for freedom
Some found freedom only on the open road.
Some found it only on the open road
Freedom was elusive, and tears of blood were shed.
So many tears of blood have fell around us
Expresses the sorrow and hardship experienced.
Cause you can't always do what you were told
Defiance against blindly following orders.
Please tell me where have all
Asks about the whereabouts of hobos, expressing a sense of loss.
The hobos gone to i see no fire burning down
Observation of the absence of a fire by the railroad tracks, indicating a lack of warmth or community.
By the rusty railroad tracks
Suggests a connection between the passage of time and the hobos being left behind.
Could it be that time has gone and left them
Questions whether time has abandoned the hobos, metaphorically tying them to life's burdens.
Tied up in life's eternal traveling sack
Implies the hobos are entangled in the perpetual struggles of life.
Last Sunday night I wrote a
Describes the act of writing a letter to a loved one.
Letter to my loved one
Indicates separation from the loved one for an extended period.
I signed my name and I knew that
The narrator acknowledges the prolonged absence.
I stayed away way too long
Realization that staying away was too long.
There was a time when my
Reflects on a time when the narrator's heart was free to wander.
Heart was free to wander
Expresses a nostalgic memory of freedom.
And I remember as I sing this hobo song
The narrator remembers and sings the hobo song.
Comment