Yonder comes the wizard, selling his magic on the street
He finds a young girl who says, "Man you know, my life ain't complete"
Wizard says, "Here's some magic now, gonna ease your pain"
Somewhere in the heartland, it starts to rain
Girl goes home, puts the magic in her soul
Days grow dim and night grows cold
Thunder and lightning rain on the heartland home
Mama wakes up screaming, her baby's gone
For every baby born there's somebody dying
For every truth that's told, somebody's lying
For every one that quits there's somebody trying
And the long black train, just rolling down the line
Old man in the pines, they say he played the blues so well
People come to hear his music and the stories he'd tell
He'd talk of a life that has passed us by
How it took more courage to live than it did to die
His words were simple but his wisdom shone through
His talks of bones and mojos put the chill in you
When he died they say it snowed that night
Somewhere in them pines, still burns a light
For every baby born there's somebody dying
For every truth that's told, somebody's lying
For everybody that quits there's somebody trying
And the long black train, doin' nothin', just rolling down the line
Rolling down the line
For every baby born there's somebody dying
For every truth that's told, somebody's lying
For everybody that quits there's somebody trying
And the long black train, doin' nothin' but rolling down the line
I've seen an old man on the platform, he smiles as people walk by
If you look real close you can still see a little boy in his eye
A young man who stutters, he got his ticket in his hand
That he chose to ride shows the power of the man
Little girl with her mama, playing with her toy
I saw this old woman half stockin'ed, she can't find no joy
Have you ever heard somebody holler, "I ain't never had no chance?"
I swear that's the music, y'all, makes the devil want to dance
For every baby born there's somebody dying
For every truth that's told, somebody's lying
For every one that quits there's somebody trying
And the long black train, doin' nothin' but rolling down the line
Rolling down the line