Hobo's Meditation
Emmylou Harris Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton 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" is a poignant reflection on the life of a hobo, someone who travels around the country by jumping on freight trains and lives a transient, nomadic life. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing and uncertainty about what will happen to the hobos when they die. The singer wonders if there is a place for them in heaven and if they will be accepted by those who live more conventional lives. The questions posed in the lyrics leave an air of mystery and melancholy.

The song speaks to the larger theme of social disenchantment, the sense of being disconnected from mainstream society and struggling to find one's place in the world. It also reflects the cultural moment of the Great Depression, a time when many people were forced into a hobo lifestyle due to economic hardship. At the same time, the lyrics also touch on the idea of hope, of finding a place where one can be accepted and respected for who they are.

Line by Line Meaning

Last night as I lay on the boxcar
As I lay on the boxcar last night

Just waiting for a train to pass by
Waiting for a train to pass by

What will become of the hobo
What will happen to the hobo

Whenever his time comes to die
When the hobo dies

There's a Master up yonder in heaven
There is a God in heaven

Got a place that we might call our home
Who has a place we could call home

Will we have to work for a living
Do we have to work in heaven

Or can we continue to roam
Or can we still travel

Will there be any freight trains in heaven
Are there trains in heaven

Any boxcars in which we might hide
Are there boxcars to hide in

Will there be any tough cops or brakemen
Are there strict authorities in heaven

Will they tell us that we cannot ride
Will they prohibit us from riding

Will the hobo chum with the rich man
Will the hobo be friends with the rich person

Will we always have money to spare
Will we always have extra money

Will they have respect for the hobo
Will they respect the hobo

In that land that lies hidden up there
In heaven, which is hidden up there

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@jasongarriott5284

3y↑2

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

@mrsdiaz86

12y↑7

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

8y↑9

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

@nancyhunt3277

Me too

@bagdad9782

3y↑3

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

3y↑3

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

@grwilsonjr

4y↑2

Linda, one of the best voices ever.

@bobbeck5866

THE BEST EVER.

@AdrianaK

2y↑1

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!!

@ivictoriahaihing8055

7y↑2

the trio you will always be my first love when it comes to music.. ^^ its 2k17 but m still listening it with all the love like the first day when mom and me we sang holding our own beautiful parts, she strum her guitar along with the flow we sang on winter evening when i was 12 years old.. thank you so much for such a music... always loving you guys alot ^^

@JosephParkMusic

6y↑1

Amazing song <3

@Froggy19510

12y↑1

Best female trio ever.

@savgal1211

God bless my best friend and sister. We sang this song all the time we cut our teeth doing Harmony to Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt Dolly Parton Emmylou Harris Journey any of the old rock bands that could actually do harm any like Boston. Male or female didn't matter Emerson Lake and palmer. It's such a shame that Linda can't sing any longer. My sister had a band and I would get up and sing background with her I never liked to sing lead because I was just too embarrassed but I love doing Harmony

@stevebailey3827

Beautiful.

@judithchandler7368

I am sharing this with my brother, who rode the rail briefly as a teenager.

@juliaelenagiaccaglia8223

hermoso y pacifico

@dustinleitheiser5164

6y↑2

Beautiful song originally done by the late Jimmie Rodgers

@joemc7614

4y↑1

Jimmie is the best ever

@bobbeck2743

4y↑1

Is there anyone else who can perform music written anytime between Jimmie Rogers and now like Linda Ronstadt.

@bobbeck5866

Jimmie Rodgers would be proud of this, After all, he wrote and perforned it best until the Trio came along

@AprilBraswell

9y↑22

Remember the original Hobos were often WWI vets w/o Combat Fatigue help.

Let us always have respect for our Hobos and give them a bite to eat when they come by. Many blessings to you and yours.

@debragreene5499

6y↑4

Thank you for remembering those our government forgot!

@packingten

5y↑2

Now our poor hobo veterans some have no homes but FOREIGNERS who come here ILLEGALLY get money homes...cell phones....I want to THROW UP!!. They are put down by liberal media and people!..Support our heroes!.

@pateckhardt

thank you you are telling the truth that many even today won't face: beautiful souls with traumatic stress often wind up homeless. am always impressed how hobo communities offer help to strangers and friends alike!

@jerrylanglois7892

Three song birds !

@savgal1211

2y↑1

My mother was very close friends with Hank Snow and of course he named his only son Jimmy After Jimmy Rogers Hank was so close to my mother I mean to my grandmother also he called my grandmother his mother hankies to come to our house a good deal in Nashville and drink vodka and orange juice and sit around and pick the guitar. One time I went out to the rainbow Ranch and Elvis Presley was riding dirt bikes with Jimmy and they were playing with their own knives I forget the name you play were you throw knives into the ground? So I got to meet Elvis I was too young to care back then though LOL. My mom was from Canada and was a singer on the Calgary Stampede named Alberta Rose she started Hank's first fan club of course Hank was from Nova Scotia he moved my mother and grandmother to Nashville. My mother would have had a singing career but she subsequently married a man from Australia who was a retired missionary and was a preacher and she subsequently proceeded to download four kids lol but my mom can play or she could play a lot of those songs she's almost 89 now and has had several Strokes. She loved Hank like a brother and she was very close to his wifeMim

@Froggy19510

10y↑1

This was before Dolly's TWRKIN days.

@johnroot2987

10y↑2

Jimmy Rodgers' original pen and voice wrote & sang "Will there be any TOUGH COPS or brakemen," not "any Choctaws." I can forgive them though. Don't understand why they couldn't hear it the way it was sung though. It was clear.

@523richardallen

10y↑7

they are saying "Tough Cops"

@lewiswereb8994

5y↑4

Check your hearing aids.

@catdaddy3302

Right. https://youtu.be/HQ_xj3aDjWU

@leontate2351

It takes the wisdom of a HOBO to compare ones present frustrations with the frustrations to be found in the great beyond. Great image. Superb perfect-pitch harmony. The company of pleasant women.

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