Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic twin guitar harmony and counterpoint which "rewrote the rules for how two rock guitarists can work together, completely scrapping the traditional rhythm/lead roles to stand toe to toe". Following Allman's death in 1971, Betts assumed sole lead guitar duties during the peak of the group's commercial success in the mid-1970s.
Betts was the writer and singer on the Allmans' hit single "Ramblin' Man". He also gained renown for composing instrumentals, with one appearing on most of the group's albums, the most notable of these being "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Jessica" (the latter widely known as the theme to Top Gear). The band went through a hiatus in the late 1970s, during which time Betts, like many of the other band members, pursued a solo career and side projects under such names as Dickey Betts & Great Southern and The Dickey Betts Band. The Allman Brothers reformed in 1979, with Dan Toler taking the second guitar role alongside Betts. In 1982, they broke up a second time, during which time Betts formed the group Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks, which lasted until 1984. A third reformation occurred in 1989, with Warren Haynes now joining Betts on guitar. Betts would be ousted from the band in 2000 over a conflict regarding Betts's continued drug and alcohol use; he would never play with them again and has not since appeared with any former band members for reunions or side projects. He remains (alongside Jaimoe) one of only two living founders of the Allman Brothers Band.
He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won a best rock performance Grammy Award with the band for "Jessica" in 1996. Betts was ranked No. 58 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list in 2003, and No. 61 on the list published in 2011.
Waiting for a Train
Dickey Betts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm thousand miles away from home sleepin' in the rain
I walked up to a brakeman just to give him a line of talk
He said if you've got money I'll see that you don't walk
I haven't got a nickel not a penny can I show
Get off get off you railroad bum he slammed the boxcar door
Well he put me off in Texas a state I dearly love
Nobody seems to want me or lend me a helping hand
I'm on my way from Frisco goin' back to Dixie Land
My pocketbook is empty my heart is full of pain
I'm a thousand miles away from home waitin' for a train
The lyrics of Dickey Betts's song Waiting For A Train tell the story of a drifter, stranded far away from home, left with nothing but his desperation and hopelessness. The opening lines of the song paint a picture of a desolate environment, with the singer standing around a water tank, under the chilling sheets of rain, waiting for a train. He is far away from his home, thousands of miles away, feeling alone, and hopeless. He approaches a brakeman, hoping to strike a conversation with him, but the brakeman quickly rebuffs him, and reminds him that he needs to pay to ride the train. The singer tells him that he is broke, but the brakeman does not listen and tosses him out, leaving him without a clear path ahead.
The singer continues his journey towards Dixie land, reminiscing about his time in Texas, where he felt like he had found a place to belong. However, his illusions were quickly shattered, as the people of the state offered him no help or support. The singer's heart is filled with pain, and his pocketbook is empty, making his journey that much more challenging. The lyrics of this song describe the anguish and pain of being left to wander the world with nothing, no resources, support, or hope. The song is a powerful reminder of the struggles that many drifters face, and their search for hope and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
All around the water tank waitin' for a train
I am standing by the water tank, waiting for a train to arrive.
I'm thousand miles away from home sleepin' in the rain
I'm stranded a thousand miles from my home, and I'm sleeping outside in the rain.
I walked up to a brakeman just to give him a line of talk
I approached a brakeman to have a conversation with him.
He said if you've got money I'll see that you don't walk
The brakeman told me that if I have money, he'll make sure I don't have to walk.
I haven't got a nickel not a penny can I show
Unfortunately, I don't have any money to show him.
Get off get off you railroad bum he slammed the boxcar door
The brakeman rudely demanded that I get off the boxcar and slammed the door on me.
Well he put me off in Texas a state I dearly love
The brakeman left me in Texas, which is a state I really like.
The wide open spaces all around me the moon and stars up above
There are vast open spaces surrounding me, with the moon and stars shining above.
Nobody seems to want me or lend me a helping hand
Unfortunately, nobody seems willing to offer me any assistance.
I'm on my way from Frisco goin' back to Dixie Land
I'm traveling from San Francisco and heading back to the southern U.S. (Dixie Land).
My pocketbook is empty my heart is full of pain
My wallet is completely empty, and I'm feeling quite sad and distressed.
I'm a thousand miles away from home waitin' for a train
Once again, I'm stuck a thousand miles from my house and waiting for a train to arrive.
Contributed by Nicholas G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.