Shortly after high school, in 1970, with fellow Lubbock musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, he formed The Flatlanders. According to Ely, "Jimmie was like a well of country music. He knew everything about it. And Butch was from the folk world. I was kinda the rock & roll guy, and we almost had a triad. We hit it off and started playing a lot together. That opened up a whole new world I had never known existed." In 1972, the band released their first and— until 2002's Now Again— only album, but have appeared together on each other's albums. Since the band's initial break-up just after their album was cut, the three musicians have followed individual paths.
Ely's own first album, self titled, was released in 1977. The following year, his band played London where he met punk rock group The Clash. Impressed with each other's performances, the two bands would later tour together, including appearances in Ely's hometown of Lubbock, as well as Laredo and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Since then, a steady stream of albums have followed, most on the MCA label. Ely's live performances have become legendary, and he has released a live album roughly every ten years (the last was Live at Antone's in 2000). He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Los Super Seven, David Grissom, and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
In the late 1990s, Ely was asked to write songs for Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer, which led to reforming The Flatlanders with Gilmore and Hancock for an appearance on the movie soundtrack. A new album from the trio followed in 2002, with a third in 2004.
In February 2007, Ely released "Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch" on his own label, Rack 'Em Records. A book of Ely's writings was published in early 2007 by the University of Texas Press. Ely also released a second album of old lyrics that he has finally recorded.
Several other reissues of Ely's previous work were due out later in 2007 on Rack 'Em.
Boxcars
Joe Ely Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I got no more money to spend
She smiled when she saw me comin' through that door
When I left she said, "Come back again"
I watched them lonesome boxcar wheels
Turnin' down the tracks out of town
And it's on that lonesome railroad track
I'm gonna lay my burden down
I was raised on a farm the first years of my life
Life was pretty good, they say
I'll probably live to be some ripe ol' age
If death'll stay out of my way
This world can take my money and time
But it sure can't take my soul
I'm goin' down to the railroad tracks
Watch them lonesome boxcars roll
There's some big ol' Buicks at the Baptist church
Caddilacs at the church of Christ
I parked my camel by an ol' haystack
I'll be lookin' for that needle all night
There ain't gonna be no radial tires
Turnin' down the streets of gold
I'm goin' down to the railroad tracks
And watch them lonesome boxcars roll
Now if you ever heard the whistle on a fast freight train
Beatin' out a beautiful tune
If you ever seen the cold blue railroad tracks
Shinin' by the light of the moon
If you ever felt the locomotive shake the ground
I know you don't have to be told
Why I'm goin' down to the railroad tracks
And watch them lonesome boxcars roll
Yeah, I'm goin' down to the railroad tracks
Watch them lonesome boxcars roll
The song "Boxcars" by Joe Ely is a contemplative tune about the singer's financial struggles and desire to escape the pressures of modern society. The song opens with a confession that the singer has given all his money to the bank this month and consequently has nothing left to spend. Despite this, when the bell of the bank rings, the teller greets him warmly and assures him to come back again. The singer then watches the boxcar wheels turn down the track out of town and declares that it's where he wants to lay his burden down.
The second verse of the song changes the tone, as Ely reminisces about his early life on the farm, expressing gratitude for the happy years he's had so far. Despite knowing the certainty of death, he's not afraid to face it, because he knows life can't take his soul. As he celebrates the value of his soul and independence, he affirms his desire to escape modern society's trappings by going down to the railroad tracks to watch the lonesome boxcars roll. Finally, the song concludes with an appreciation of the beauty of train travel and the emotions evoked by the whistle of a fast freight train, a reminder of the power of nature as well as the desire to escape from the complexities of civilization.
Overall, the song takes the listener on a journey of self-reflection and articulates the desire for simplicity and independence. It captures the longing for personal freedom and the values that are deeper than mere financial prosperity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I gave all my money to the banker this month
I spent all my money and now I have none left.
Now I got no more money to spend
I have nothing left to spend on things I want or need.
She smiled when she saw me comin' through that door
The banker was happy to see me because I gave her money.
When I left she said, "Come back again"
The banker wants me to return and give her more money next month.
I watched them lonesome boxcar wheels
I observed the wheels of the train cars that were empty and alone.
Turnin' down the tracks out of town
The train cars were moving away from the town.
And it's on that lonesome railroad track
The train tracks are a lonely place where I feel at home.
I'm gonna lay my burden down
My troubles and worries will be gone when I'm near the train tracks.
I was raised on a farm the first years of my life
I spent my early years living on a farm.
Life was pretty good, they say
People say that my life was good when I lived on the farm.
I'll probably live to be some ripe ol' age
I expect to live a long time.
If death'll stay out of my way
Assuming I don't die soon, I'll live a long time.
This world can take my money and time
The world can take away the things I have or the time I spend, but it can't take my spirit.
But it sure can't take my soul
Nothing can take away the essence of who I am.
I'm goin' down to the railroad tracks
I'm heading to the place where I feel most at peace, the train tracks.
Watch them lonesome boxcars roll
I find comfort in watching the empty train cars moving along the track.
There's some big ol' Buicks at the Baptist church
People that go to the Baptist church have expensive cars, like the Buick.
Caddilacs at the church of Christ
People at the Church of Christ have even more expensive cars, like the Cadillac.
I parked my camel by an ol' haystack
I parked my old car near an old haystack, which is a humble way to travel.
I'll be lookin' for that needle all night
I'll be searching for something small and hard to find, the needle in the haystack.
There ain't gonna be no radial tires
In the afterlife, there won't be any luxury items, like car tires.
Turnin' down the streets of gold
The roads in heaven might be made of gold, but there still won't be any luxury items like car tires.
Now if you ever heard the whistle on a fast freight train
If you've ever listened to the whistle of a fast-moving train.
Beatin' out a beautiful tune
You'll hear a melodic and soothing sound.
If you ever seen the cold blue railroad tracks
If you've ever looked at the blue-colored metal tracks that the train runs on.
Shinin' by the light of the moon
The tracks' silvery shine looks even more radiant in the moon's light.
If you ever felt the locomotive shake the ground
Whenever you've felt the powerful vibrations of a train passing by.
I know you don't have to be told
I don't need to explain the allure of trains to someone who's already experienced it.
Why I'm goin' down to the railroad tracks
This is why I'm heading back to the railroad tracks, where I can find comfort and peace of mind.
And watch them lonesome boxcars roll
I'll spend the night watching the empty train cars rolling by, feeling at peace.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BUTCH HANCOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind