Dan Bern (aka Bernstein, a name under which he sometimes performs) is a gui… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Bern (aka Bernstein, a name under which he sometimes performs) is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and painter. His music is often compared to that of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello. His song "Talkin' Woody, Bob, Bruce, and Dan Blues," from the album Smartie Mine, offers a joking take on this influence, presented in the style of a Guthrie or Dylan talking blues song, and containing a spoof of a Dylan song as well. Bernstein has also toured with Ani DiFranco. He is known for sardonic, literary lyrics, a range of musical styles, and a folk music style paired with rock instrumentation. He also wrote the novel Quitting Science (2004) under the pen name Cunliffe Merriwether and wrote the preface under his own name.

Although a vein of social and political humor runs though even his earliest work, Bern's work became more explicitly political during the 2004 US presidential election campaign, with songs such as "Bush Must Be Defeated" and "President" highlighting his sometimes surreal political takes.

Bern is reflexively literate, in the style of his favorite authors, including L.A.'s legendary bohemians Charles Bukowski and John Fante, urbane fantasist James Thurber, and yarn-spinning humorist Ring Lardner. He is in love with the power of words to turn on themselves, to frolic, to bite, and his strong, friendly voice can go from earnest to ferocious within seconds. Being captivated by Dan is the easy part; describing his music to the non-initiated is more difficult. One journalist tried: "topical-poetical-sarcastic-punk-folk." An admirable effort, further elaborated by the New York Times: "He veers from comedy to anger, conjectures to shaggy-dog stories; he takes sidelong approaches to theology, science fiction, consumer culture, art, love and baseball."

Freight Train Blues
Dan Bern Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was born in Dixie in a boomer's shack
Just a little shanty by the railroad track
Freight train whistle taught me how to cry
Hummin' of the driver was my lullaby

I got the freight train blues
Lordy lordy lordy, I got 'em in the bottom of my ramblin' shoes
And when the whistle blows, I got to go

Oh lordy don't you know it
It looks like I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues

Well, my daddy was a farmer and my mama dear
She was the only daughter of the engineer
My sweetie was a brakeman and it ain't no joke
It's a shame the way they keep a good man broke

I got the freight train blues
I got the freight train blues
I got the freight train

Well, my daddy was a farmer and my mama dear
She was the only daughter of the engineer
My sweetie was a brakeman and it ain't no joke
It's a shame the way they keeps a good man broke

I got the freight train blues
Lordy lordy lordy, I got 'em in the bottom of my ramblin' shoes
And when the whistle blows, I got to go
Oh lordy don't you know it
Looks like I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues

Well the whistle blows I gotta go
Oh lordy don't you know it,
Looks like I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues

Well the only thing that makes me laugh I guess
Is the southbound whistle on the southbound train
The only place I want to go and I can't go

I got the freight train blues
Lordy lordy lordy, I got 'em in the bottom of my ramblin' shoes

And when the whistle blows, I got to go
Oh lordy don't you know I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Freight Train Blues" describe the singer's humble beginnings in a shanty along the railroad tracks in Dixie (the southern United States). The train whistle that would regularly sound off provided a rhythm for the singer's bawl, and the hum of the train driver comforted him as he slept. It's clear from these lyrics that the singer's life has been deeply entwined with trains from the very beginning.

The rest of the song goes on to talk about the singer's family, with his father being a farmer and his mother the daughter of a train engineer. The singer's love interest is a brakeman, and the song laments how hard it is for good, hardworking people to make ends meet when they work on the railroad. Despite the difficult circumstances, the singer can't help but feel drawn to the train's whistle when it blows. It's the only thing that brings him joy, even as it reminds him of the longing he has to be somewhere he can't go.

Overall, "Freight Train Blues" is a song about the hard realities of working-class life, specifically in relation to the railroad industry. It paints a vivid picture of a life that depends on the train's comings and goings, and the toll that lifestyle can take on individuals and families. At the same time, it honors the singer's deep love for the trains themselves, and recognizes the inexplicable pull they have on those who grow up within their sound.

Line by Line Meaning

I was born in Dixie in a boomer's shack
I was born in the southern United States in a small and poor dwelling

Just a little shanty by the railroad track
The house was located near the train tracks

Freight train whistle taught me how to cry
The sound of the train's whistle was so loud and melancholic that it made me cry

Hummin' of the driver was my lullaby
The rumbling and shaking of the train was a soothing sound that helped me fall asleep

I got the freight train blues
I feel sad and restless because I have to constantly travel by train

Lordy lordy lordy, I got 'em in the bottom of my ramblin' shoes
The feeling of sadness and restlessness is so strong that it's like it's part of me, deep down in my soul

And when the whistle blows, I got to go
Every time I hear the train whistle, I have to leave

Oh lordy don't you know it
I am aware of how difficult my life is

It looks like I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues
I feel like I will never escape this feeling of sadness and restlessness caused by constantly traveling by train

Well, my daddy was a farmer and my mama dear
My father was a farmer and my mother was a loving woman

She was the only daughter of the engineer
My mother's father was the engineer of a train

My sweetie was a brakeman and it ain't no joke
My partner works as a brakeman on a train, and it's not an easy job

It's a shame the way they keep a good man broke
It's unfair that hardworking people like my partner struggle to make ends meet

Well the whistle blows I gotta go
Every time I hear the train whistle, I have to leave

Looks like I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues
I feel like I will never escape this feeling of sadness and restlessness caused by constantly traveling by train

Well the only thing that makes me laugh I guess
The only thing that can put a smile on my face, I suppose

Is the southbound whistle on the southbound train
The train whistle of a southbound train is a sound that brings me joy

The only place I want to go and I can't go
I have a strong desire to go to a specific place but I am unable to

Lordy lordy lordy, I got 'em in the bottom of my ramblin' shoes
The feeling of sadness and restlessness is so strong that it's like it's part of me, deep down in my soul

And when the whistle blows, I got to go
Every time I hear the train whistle, I have to leave

Oh lordy don't you know it,
I am aware of how difficult my life is

Looks like I'm never gonna lose the freight train blues
I feel like I will never escape this feeling of sadness and restlessness caused by constantly traveling by train

Contributed by Owen T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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