Great Nashville Railroad Desister Lyrics - David Allan Coe

One sultry summer morning in the year of 19-18 

Three hundred men with ebony skin pulled out of Union Station 

Headed out of Nashville for western Tennessee 

Homeward bound cause Uncle Sam closed down the munitions factory 

At that very moment on the Cheatham County line 

Old No 1 train from Memphis was runnin' way behind 

Buck in the smokey club car a Memphis gamblin' man 

Said gentlemen I'm foldin' these cards cause I drew a dead man's hand 

A young man in a milk truck out near Dutchman's Grade 

Said my God two trains one track then he closed his eyes and he prayed 

A sister from the orphan's home made a cross upon her chest 

Cause a one iron beast was comin' from the east 

And another one was comin' from the west 

The birds flew from the treetops as the impact shook the ground 

The scaming wheels and the grinding steel could be hard for miles around 

The birds flew from the treetops... 

Now every July 9th a few miles west of town 

To this day some folks will say you can hear that mournful sound 

One sultry summer morning in the year of 19-18 

Three hundred men with ebony skin pulled out of Union Station