Midnight train to Georgia
Charlie and the Bachelors Lyrics
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Midnight train, roll on
Clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
And in a fancy car with a private bar and a personal valet
There was a bunch of cold eyed men sittin' at a poker table
Bettin' hot stakes all around
Ole Louisiana Lou had a knife in his shoe was dealin?
A hand of cards and ole Stagger Lee Crocket had a gun in his pocket
Was sweatin' bettin' hard and over in the corner this Mexican guy
With two gold teeth and a patch on his eye took a long hard look around
And then the door flew open, the stranger walked in
Said, "don't y'all get excited, I know this here's a private game
And I know I wasn't invited but I got a roll that?d choke a mule
I'm just about a big enough fool to lay it all right down
And everybody nodded as the stranger took his seat
He knew this bunch of cutthroat?s would be mighty hard to beat
As the stranger knew then the toughest two by far were where he sat
Was a pot belly fellow from south Alabama and a dude in a black felt hat
Midnight train, roll on
Midnight train, roll on
Well, clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
Well, the stranger sat down he looked around at all them evil faces
And the pot-belly fellow drew a pair of queens but the stranger
He drew aces and he kept on raising and pushin' his luck
Kept on winning like a run away truck he was giving them a beating
And the stakes got higher than a Chinese kite, the stranger
Kept getting hot till every cent everybody had was lying out in the pot
And then the stranger threw down a royal flush, somebody said "Hey man, that's enough friend I think you've been cheatin'"
And then the stranger picked the money up and said, "Boys I better run?
And then the pot-bellied fella pulled a razor out, somebody pulled a gun
They said, "You may think you're a sly old fox, you're gonna leave here
In a long pine box if you don't leave that money alone"
Just about then the lights went out and they all started fussin'
And the lights came on, the stranger was gone, they all started cussin'
And they searched that train from front to rear
That stranger he done disappeared and all their money was gone
When the train pulled in the station, with the whistle blowin' loud
A telegram was waitin' from the stranger for the crowd
Said "Thank you for the money boys but don't feel too outdone
'Cause it takes a dog to know a dog I'm a howlin' son of a gun"
Midnight train, roll on
(Roll on, roll on)
Midnight train, roll on
(Roll on, roll on)
Well, clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
Oh, he's long gone
The song "Midnight Train" by Charlie Daniels tells the story of a stranger who joins a poker game on a train headed to Santa Fe. As the game progresses, the stranger, who is portrayed as a daring, high-stakes gambler, wins an impressive amount of money from the other players. When they accuse him of cheating, a fight breaks out, and in the chaos, the stranger disappears with all the money. The song emphasizes the theme of adventure, danger, and excitement, reflecting the allure of living on the edge without fear.
The song's protagonist, the unnamed stranger, embodies the cowboy archetype, with his tall and dark appearance, love of gambling, and sense of adventure. The lyrics subtly suggest that the stranger's success is due to his intelligence and fearlessness, which set him apart from the other players. The song also creates an atmosphere of tension and suspense, especially during the tense moments of the game, the fight, and the stranger's escape. The refrain "midnight train, roll on" serves as a reminder that the train and its journey are crucial to the story, as they provide the backdrop for the stranger's escapades.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight train, roll on
The train sets off at midnight
Clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin'
The train should be allowed to move without any obstruction and there should be a continuous sound of the whistle
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
The singer is arriving in Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
The journey is filled with both love and risk
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
The artist is the mysterious main character who is being followed till the end
Well, the train was rumblin' through the night heading south to Santa Fe
The train was moving through the night heading towards its destination Santa Fe
And in a fancy car with a private bar and a personal valet
There were luxurious amenities in one of the train cars
Well the pot-belly fellow drew a pair of queens but the stranger
The pot-belly fellow got two queens, but the artist got two aces in Poker
And they searched that train from front to rear
The train was searched in a hunt to find the artist who had disappeared with the money
When the train pulled in the station, with the whistle blowin' loud
The train finally arrived at the station with a loud whistle blowing
Said "Thank you for the money boys but don't feel too outdone
The singer left a message that he stole the money fairly in the game and wasn't cheating
Oh, he's long gone
The artist is now far away.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES FRED HAYWARD, CHARLIE DANIELS, JOHN CRAIN, JOHN LOUIS GAVIN, WILLIAM J. DIGREGORIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind