Hobo's Meditation
Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris Lyrics


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Written by Jimmie Rodgers
© 1933 Peer International Corp

Last night as I lay on the boxcar
Just waiting for a train to pass by
What will become of the hobo
Whenever his time comes to die
There's a Master up yonder in heaven
Got a place that we might call our home
Will we have to work for a living
Or can we continue to roam

Will there be any freight trains in heaven
Any boxcars in which we might hide
Will there be any tough cops or brakemen
Will they tell us that we cannot ride

Will the hobo chum with the rich man
Will we always have money to spare
Will they have respect for the hobo
In that land that lies hidden up there

Will there be any freight trains in heaven
Any boxcars in which we might hide
Will there be any tough cops or brakemen
Will they tell us that we cannot ride

Will the hobo chum with the rich man
Will we always have money to spare




Will they have respect for the hobo
In that land that lies hidden up there

Overall Meaning

The song "Hobo's Meditation" by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris is a poignant reflection on the life of a hobo, and what the afterlife might hold for those who live itinerant and often difficult lives. The song is a cover of a Jimmie Rodgers classic, and maintains the simple, plaintive style of the original.


The first verse finds the singer lying on a boxcar, waiting for a train to pass, and pondering the fate of hobos who eventually die. The second verse introduces the idea of a "Master up yonder in heaven" who may have a place for the homeless to call home. The chorus poses several questions about what this afterlife might look like - will there be freight trains and boxcars in heaven, will hobos be allowed to ride and hide, will they have respect and be able to chum with the rich? The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, underscoring the central theme of uncertainty and longing for a better future.


Line by Line Meaning

Last night as I lay on the boxcar
As I lay on the boxcar last night, I thought about my fate as a hobo.


Just waiting for a train to pass by
I waited for a train to pass by so I could hop on and continue my journey as a hobo.


What will become of the hobo
I wondered what will happen to the hobos when they die.


Whenever his time comes to die
It's uncertain when a hobo's death will occur.


There's a Master up yonder in heaven
Up there in heaven, there is a Master who is in control of everything.


Got a place that we might call our home
The Master has a place where the hobos can finally call home.


Will we have to work for a living
I question whether hobos will have to work for a living in heaven.


Or can we continue to roam
I wondered if in heaven, we can still continue our journey as hobos.


Will there be any freight trains in heaven
I wonder if there will be freight trains in heaven for us hobos to hop on.


Any boxcars in which we might hide
I question if there will be boxcars in heaven as a place to rest for hobos.


Will there be any tough cops or brakemen
I ponder if there will be strict police or brakemen in heaven who will prevent us hobos from riding freight trains.


Will they tell us that we cannot ride
I wonder if we'll be prohibited from riding the freight trains in heaven.


Will the hobo chum with the rich man
I question if hobos will have the opportunity to be friendly with the rich people in heaven.


Will we always have money to spare
I wonder if there will always be enough money to spend in heaven as hobos.


Will they have respect for the hobo
I thought about whether hobos will be respected in heaven.


In that land that lies hidden up there
All these uncertainties are associated with the heaven we've heard of but haven't seen, a secret land up there.




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jasongarriott5284

Three of music’s most prime living legends. Beautiful song.

@mrsdiaz86

Love this song. I listened over and over again when my grandfather died in 1988. He spent some time in his youth riding the rails . . .

@44lynn88

It's very late here and I'm still listening to this Trio album...wonderful!!!

@nancyhunt3277

Me too

@bagdad9782

I was told by an older sister that this song was written I believe in 1929. My mother was born in 1928. When she was 5 yrs old my grandfather would sing this song to her. He was a sharecropper in Arkansas. When I played this song today I teared up. Thanks for putting this on YouTube.

@joanjett8814

3 country legends of music.. I will call these ladies Royals of country music for sure

@grwilsonjr

Linda, one of the best voices ever.

@bobbeck5866

THE BEST EVER.

@AdrianaK

This is such a beautiful rendition of the song. I like playing country music and I did some covers myself. Still learning though. 🙃

@jillmiller2936

Great song! Love. It!!

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