One of its founders, Garcia performed with the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career (1965–1995). Garcia also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Saunders–Garcia Band (with longtime friend Merl Saunders), the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, Legion of Mary, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage (which Garcia co-founded with John Dawson and David Nelson). He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. He was well known for his distinctive guitar playing and was ranked 46th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story.
Later in life, Garcia was sometimes ill because of his diabetes, and in 1986 went into a diabetic coma that nearly cost him his life. Although his overall health improved somewhat after that, he also struggled with heroin and cocaine addictions, and was staying in a California drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in August 1995.
Freight Train
Jerry Garcia Lyrics
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Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
They won't know what route I'm going
When I'm dead and in my grave
No more good times here I crave
Place the stones at my head and feet
When I die, oh bury me deep
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
So I can hear old Number Nine
As she comes rolling by
When I die, oh bury me deep
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
Place the stones at my head and feet
And tell them all I'm gone to sleep
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
They won't know what route I'm going
The song "Freight Train" is a traditional American folk tune that has been covered numerous times by various artists. In this particular version, performed by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, the song's theme revolves around transience and the desire for anonymity. The opening verse of the song describes the speed of a freight train as it hurtles through the countryside, with the singer pleading that nobody reveals which train they are on or where they are going. The desire for anonymity is also reflected in the final verse of the song, where the singer requests that when they die, they are buried deep so that they can hear the sound of the passing train, and the stones at their head and feet are a silent marker of their passing.
The lyrics of "Freight Train" have a deep historical and cultural significance. The song was first recorded in 1927 by the Carter Family, a country music group, and over the years, the song has become a staple in country, bluegrass, and folk music. The song has been covered by many notable artists over the years, including Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Chet Atkins. It has been said that the song captures the essence of the American railroad boom, and its lyrics may have been influenced by the "hobo code," a system of symbols and signals that transient workers used to communicate with one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Expresses the speed of the train and the singer's admiration and fear of it.
Please don't tell what train I'm on
The singer wants to keep their travel plans secret from others.
They won't know what route I'm going
The singer thinks that their privacy will be secured by others not knowing their travel plans.
When I'm dead and in my grave
The artist switches to thoughts of their own death and burial.
No more good times here I crave
The artist is resigned to their fate and no longer desires earthly pleasures.
Place the stones at my head and feet
The singer has specific burial requests, involving the placement of stones at their head and feet.
And tell them all I'm gone to sleep
The singer wants to be thought of as simply sleeping, not as gone forever.
When I die, oh bury me deep
The artist restates their desire for a deep burial.
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
The artist has a specific location in mind for their burial.
So I can hear old Number Nine
The artist wants to be buried near a train track so they can hear the sounds of trains passing by.
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
The repeated line is used again to express the speed of the passing trains.
Please don't tell what train I'm on
The final line is a repetition of earlier lines reiterating the artist's desire for privacy about their travel plans.
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