Kelly's first solo release, Go Man Go, appeared in 1988 on the punk label, SST .
Kelly's socio-political second album, New City (1997) was released nearly a decade after his first.
In 2003 Kelly's cover of "Downbound Train" was chosen for the Springsteen tribute album, Light of Day.
Downbound Train
Kirk Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had something going in this world
I got laid off at the lumber yard
Our love went bad, times got hard
Now I work down at the car wash
Where all it ever does is rain
Don't it feel like you're a rider
She just said, "Joe, I gotta go
We had it once, we ain't got it no more"
She packed her bags, and she left me behind
She got a ticket on the Central Line
Nights as I sleep, I hear the whistle whining
I feel her kisses in the misty rain
And I feel like I'm a rider
On a downbound train
Last night, I heard your voice
You were crying, crying, you were so alone
You said your love had never died
You were waiting for me at home
I put on my jacket, ran through the woods
Ran 'til I thought my chest would explode
There in the clearing, beyond the highway
In the moonlight, our wedding house shone
I rushed through the yard, burst through the front door
My head pounding hard, up the stairs I climbed
The room was dark, our bed was empty, then I heard the long whistle whine
Then I dropped to my knees, hung my head and cried
Now I swing a sledgehammer on a railroad gang
Knocking down them cross ties, working in the rain
Don't it feel like you're a rider
On a downbound train?
The song Downbound Train by Kirk Kelly tells the story of a man who loses his job and his girlfriend while facing tough times. At the beginning of the song, the man reflects on how he used to have stability and comfort, but when he got laid off and his relationship fell apart, he ended up working at a car wash where it feels like nothing ever changes. The lyrics "Don't it feel like you're a rider on a downbound train?" suggest that he feels stuck, like he's moving in the wrong direction without the power to change his circumstances.
The song takes a turn when the man hears from his ex-girlfriend, who tells him that her love for him never died, and that she's waiting for him to come home. He rushes to their old house, imagining that they'll reunite and everything will be perfect again. However, when he gets there, he finds that she's not there and that she left him behind long ago. The poignant lyrics and vivid imagery in this song create a sense of sadness and longing, and raise questions about the nature of love and the possibilities for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a job, I had a girl
I had a stable life with a job and my loved one.
I had something going in this world
I had a sense of purpose or direction in life.
I got laid off at the lumber yard
I lost my job at the lumber yard.
Our love went bad, times got hard
My love life suffered and times became difficult.
Now I work down at the car wash
I now work at the car wash.
Where all it ever does is rain
It always rains at work and it's depressing.
Don't it feel like you're a rider
Doesn't it feel like I'm a passenger?
On a downbound train?
On a train going down, just like my life.
She just said, "Joe, I gotta go
She broke it to me gently, saying she needed to leave.
We had it once, we ain't got it no more"
We used to have it all; we lost it.
She packed her bags, and she left me behind
She took her stuff and left me alone.
She got a ticket on the Central Line
She took a train on the Central Line.
Nights as I sleep, I hear the whistle whining
I hear the train whistle at night when I'm sleeping.
I feel her kisses in the misty rain
I feel her presence and memories in the rain.
And I feel like I'm a rider
I feel like I'm a passenger.
On a downbound train
On a train heading down, like my life.
Last night, I heard your voice
I heard your voice last night.
You were crying, crying, you were so alone
You were crying and alone when I heard you.
You said your love had never died
You said your love for me never faded.
You were waiting for me at home
You were home waiting for me.
I put on my jacket, ran through the woods
I put on my jacket and ran through the woods.
Ran 'til I thought my chest would explode
I ran so hard I thought I'd have a heart attack.
There in the clearing, beyond the highway
I found a clearing beyond the highway.
In the moonlight, our wedding house shone
Our wedding house shone in the moonlight.
I rushed through the yard, burst through the front door
I rushed through the yard and burst through the front door.
My head pounding hard, up the stairs I climbed
My head was pounding as I climbed up the stairs.
The room was dark, our bed was empty
The room was dark, and our bed was empty.
Then I heard the long whistle whine
I then heard the train whistle.
Then I dropped to my knees, hung my head and cried
I dropped to my knees, cried while hanging my head.
Now I swing a sledgehammer on a railroad gang
I work hard with a sledgehammer on a railroad gang.
Knocking down them cross ties, working in the rain
I knock down cross ties in the rain.
Don't it feel like you're a rider
Doesn't it feel like I'm a passenger?
On a downbound train?
On a train going down, as is my life.
Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.