Gilmore also played "Smokey" in The Big Lebowski
Mobile Line
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Lyrics
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Down on the Mobile line
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Holler bout the Mobile line
Well it's a road to ride to ease your troublin' mind
Well I got a letter now this is the way it read
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Said come home baby because your lover is dead
Well I ran out and I hopped out on the road
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Holler bout on the road
When I got there she was laying on a coolin' board
Now when I die mama don't you bury papa at all
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Holler bout your papa at all
Just throw my bones down in some alcohol
[ guitar - steel ]
Now when I die mama put my picture in a frame
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Holler bout a picture in a frame
Hang it up on the mantle you can see me just the same
And when I die I think I'm gonna stop by France
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Holler bout a stop by France
I'm gonna stop by France just to give all the women a chance
[ fiddle - guitar ]
Well hey mama now did you ever go down on
Down on the Mobile line
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Holler bout the Mobile line
Well it's a road to ride to ease your troublin' mind
Well it's a road to ride to ease your troublin' mind
The lyrics to Jimmie Dale Gilmore's song "Mobile Line" tell a story of a man who receives a letter informing him that his lover has died. He immediately sets out on a road trip, the "Mobile line," to be with her. Unfortunately, when he arrives, he finds that she has already been placed on a "cooling board," indicating that she has passed away. The man then muses about his own death, requesting that he not be buried with his father but instead have his bones thrown into alcohol. He also suggests that his photograph be framed and hung up on a mantle after his death so that his loved ones can always remember him. The song ends with the man jokingly saying that when he dies, he will stop by France to give all the women a chance.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mobile Line" convey a sense of longing, loss, and acceptance of mortality. The man's journey on the road is a physical representation of his emotional journey, as he grapples with the reality of his lover's death and his own mortality. The song's playful and lighthearted tone, however, suggests that the man is not completely overcome with sorrow but instead takes a somewhat humorous approach to the inevitable end of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well hey mama now did you ever go down on
Asking if Mama had traveled along the Mobile line.
Down on the Mobile line
The Mobile line is a road to rid one's mind of troubles.
Hey lordy mama mama hey lordy papa papa
Expressing excitement or surprise.
Holler bout the Mobile line
Continuing to talk/sing about the Mobile line.
Well it's a road to ride to ease your troublin' mind
Reiterating that the Mobile line is an escape from one's worries.
Well I got a letter now this is the way it read
Referring to a letter received by the singer.
Said come home baby because your lover is dead
The letter said to return home because the singer's partner had passed away.
Well I ran out and I hopped out on the road
The singer quickly left to head back home on the Mobile line.
When I got there she was laying on a coolin' board
Upon arrival, the singer found their partner's lifeless body.
Now when I die mama don't you bury papa at all
The singer requests that their remains not be buried with their father's.
Just throw my bones down in some alcohol
Instead, the singer wants their bones to be soaked in alcohol and preserved.
Now when I die mama put my picture in a frame
If the singer passes away, they want their picture to be framed.
Hang it up on the mantle you can see me just the same
Hanging the picture on the mantle would keep the singer present.
And when I die I think I'm gonna stop by France
If the singer has the opportunity, they want to visit France.
I'm gonna stop by France just to give all the women a chance
The singer desires to meet women in France before passing on.
Well it's a road to ride to ease your troublin' mind
Ending the song with the same chorus, encouraging the Mobile line as a place to escape worries.
Contributed by Katherine N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.