The only train out running after midnight
Is this ghost train on some cross-country line
Its load is light tho it's carrying a lot of lonely shadows
That its passengers in the past have left behind
And it keeps on rolling down thru the lowlands
As it brings to you tomorrow morning's mail
And the ghost of the old west wind hangs over the engine
And the ghost of the lowland fog hangs over the rails
And the ghost of the cigarette smoke hangs over the snack bar car that's closed
And the ghost of all those words hangs over the mail
It's dark outside, visibility's almost zero
As time and this train run their race
And all you see is your reflection in the window
As the lights of a distant town pass thru your face
And there's lots of time to memorize the movies
And the ghosts of all the cities you've been thru
It was Christmas all year round down in Geneva
And I made friends with the ghost of Amsterdam
And the ghost of Munich reminded me of my grandpa
And in Paris I did a dance with the ghost of Uncle Sam
Engineer don't show me no more mail stop stations
Don't you think we seen enough of those?
I'll make you up a song if you'll only make this train go faster
I'll dedicate it to you, good god, and the holy ghost
I got my fingers tapping time to the clicking of the wheels on the track
As I harmonize with the wind blowing by outside
And the ghost of the Grateful Dead hangs over the music
And the ghost of Jimi Hendrix plays along
And the ghost of Otis Redding helps me sing it
And the ghost of Mr. Dylan hangs over the song
The conductor passes by with his timetable
He reads it like you'd read a shopping list
He says you're almost home, then he punches your ticket
And if it isn't on this train it doesn't exist
Then you pass that row of factories with their lights still burning bright
As the train slows down to cross over the bridge
Where the ghost of James Dean hangs over the river
And the ghost of Marilyn Monroe hangs over the moon
And the ghost of you is running out to meet me
And ghost of me is coming home soon
Yes, the ghost of you is hanging over my shoulder
I've been thinking of you a lot these last few miles
And the ghost of me is just hanging on these guitar strings
He's been singing me a song, he's been making me smile