This train is rolling,
This train is out of control.
This train rolls all night.
Roll on train
Rollin all night
Roll out your wheel
Get on board
Roll on train
Get you on the way
Get you
It's hard to see
Roll roll
But she's on the run
Lady lady
When she's on the
When she's passing the gate
Roll on train
This train is out of control.
This train rolls all night.
This song from the 1967 Basement Tapes sessions is a poor-quality tape recording. I have done my best to get most of the lyrics right, but many are unintelligible. It is available on volume 11 of the Bootleg Series. It doesn't sound like the Elton Anderson song of the same name, but who knows...
Roll on train
Rollin all night
Roll out your wheel
Get on board
Roll on train
Get you on the way
Get you
It's hard to see
Roll roll
But she's on the run
Lady lady
When she's on the
When she's passing the gate
Roll on train
I admire each one of your analysis Robert, and every time seem to concur with your thoughts, and wish I'd been able to write what you have written.
ReplyDeleteBut just this once I'd seek to disagree - I don't see the train out of control. Rather it just rolls on and on, taking the hobo or the blues singer or whoever on and on and on to another place where he can try and get his life together one more time.
I rather suspect, since I have always felt you've got it right before, that this time you are right and I am not hearing the song properly, but as it is the only time I've felt myself out of phase with what you've written, I thought I'd write in for the first time.
Thank you so much for your work; it's brought a great deal of pleasure to me.
Tony Attwood (Untold Dylan)
Hello there Robert, Thank you for posting this analysis of a song from Bob Dylan's Music Box: http://thebobdylanproject.com/Song/id/529/Roll-on-Train Come and join us inside and listen to every song composed, recorded or performed by Bob Dylan, plus all the great covers streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Deezer and SoundCloud plus so much more... including this link.
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