Railroad Earth is a roots and Americana-based jamband from rural western St… Read Full Bio ↴Railroad Earth is a roots and Americana-based jamband from rural western Stillwater, New Jersey, USA. Their name stems from a Jack Kerouac poem "October in the Railroad Earth," and the band has a song by the same name. Railroad Earth's music combines elements of bluegrass, rock and roll, jazz, celtic and more, and the group is known for its extensive live improvisation and lyrical songwriting within an acoustic base.

The band members, already accomplished musicians, first came together in early 2001. Originally comprised of guitarist/vocalist Todd Sheaffer, violinist/vocalist Tim Carbone, mandolinist/vocalist John Skehan, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Andy Goessling, drummer/vocalist Carey Harmon, and bassist ]Dave Von Dollen, the group played both original compositions mostly written by Sheaffer, the former From Good Homes songwriter, as well as traditional songs. After just three weeks of rehearsals, they went into a local recording studio and tracked a five song demo. Recorded live with no overdubs except backing vocals, The Black Bear Sessions set Railroad Earth's career in motion. Within a week they had a manager on board who then sent their demo out to some of the country’s most prestigious festivals, quickly landing a slot at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. That was their tenth gig. The Black Bear Sessions was released to the public in June 2001, and following their appearance at Telluride Sugar Hill Records approached the band and offered them a record deal. The Black Bear Sessions contains some of the most popular songs in Railroad Earth's repertoire, including "Seven Story Mountain" and "Head."

In June 2002, one year from the release of their debut, Railroad Earth’s second album, Bird in a House, came out on Sugar Hill Records, featuring songs such as "Bird In A House," "Like A Buddha," and "Mighty River.". The band continued its steady touring schedule, playing theatres, folk-music festivals, jam-band festivals, and other venues, while gathering much praise for its unique sound and enjoyable live concerts. The band eventually built up a fanbase who call themselves Hobos.

In 2003 Dave Von Dollen was replaced by bassist Johnny Grubb. In 2004 the band released its third studio effort, The Good Life, featuring "Storms," Mourning Flies," and "Goat." The band continued to tour throughout the country, and its first live album, Elko, was issued in late January 2006. They performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 15, 2007.

The band's fourth studio album, entitled Amen Corner, was released on June 10, 2008. The new album features songs such as "Been Down This Road," "Hard Livin'," "Waggin' The Dog," and "Lovin' You".

On November 11, 2009, Grubb announced his departure from the band after Railroad Earth's New Year's Eve run of shows in Portland, OR. In February 2010, Andrew Altman of the Codetalkers and Blueground Undergrass was named as his successor.

The band's self-titled fifth album was released on Oct 12, 2010. The album features Andy Goessling playing electric guitar for the first time, plus an 11-minute instrumental written by John Skehan entitled "Spring-Heeled Jack" (SHJ is John Skehan's initials backwards); the latter is the longest studio track to date for the band.

Andy Goessling passed away in October 2018.

Long Walk Home
Railroad Earth Lyrics

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steaks are in the meadow
fields are overgrown
winds of change are blowing through
the place that I've called home
they're digging at the edges
to build the power line
same old stories
but now the story's mine

so lets build a fire and throw in
the papers in the past
no need to try and save it now
it's never gonna last
it's a starry night
the moon is bright
lets call the old owl in
let him know we're leaving
say goodbye old friend

goodbye to the years here
they've flown
goodbye to the only
home I've known
the wheels of the world
are rolling through
and if the door is closing
i guess im running too

fourteen years my family
walked these crooked floors
forty years before my father
opened up the doors
stony stand it all began
three hundred years before
what story id beginning
if this one is no more

goodbye to the years here
they've flown
goodbye to the only
home I've known
the wheels of the world
are movin' on
and if the door is closing
i guess it's time I'm gone

feels like a wave that can't be stopped
a coming day my heart will drop
feels like a war that wont be won
without a gun
so goodbye bird and bear
goodbye tree and land
goodbye to all i know like on the back of my hand
i walk the grounds and make the rounds
of this place I've loved so well
fire up the diesel
in a last lone croft farewell

goodbye to the years here
they've flown
goodbye to the only
home I've known
the wheels of the world
are rolling through
and if the door is closing...

goodbye to the years here
they've flown
goodbye to the only
home I've known
the wheels of the world
are turning fast.

goodbye to the years here
they've flown
goodbye to the only
home I've known
the wheels of the world
are movin' on

and if the door is closing
i guess it's time I'm gone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Railroad Earth's Long Walk Home tell the poignant story of a narrator who is saying goodbye to their home. The first two lines set the scene: the steaks are in the meadow, and the fields are overgrown. The winds of change are blowing through the place that the singer has called home. The next few lines describe the changes happening; they are digging at the edges to build a power line, and the same old stories are being told, but now the story belongs to the singer himself.

The singer decides to build a fire and throw in the papers from the past. There's no need to save it now, as it's never going to last. It's a starry night, the moon is bright, and they call the old owl in to say goodbye. The wheels of the world are rolling through, and if the door is closing, the singer is running too.

The third stanza speaks to the history of the place. The singer's family has walked these crooked floors for fourteen years, and his father opened up the doors forty years before. The story of this place began three hundred years before, and the singer wonders what story is beginning if this one is no more. The final stanza describes the singer saying goodbye to everything they know, like the back of their hand. They walk the grounds one last time before firing up the diesel and bidding a last farewell to this place they've loved so well.

Line by Line Meaning

steaks are in the meadow
Cattle is grazing in the open field.

fields are overgrown
The crop fields have not been tended to and have become wild.

winds of change are blowing through the place that I've called home
The singer's home is experiencing significant changes that can be felt by everyone.

they're digging at the edges to build the power line
Construction workers are digging at the edges of the artist's land to build a power line.

same old stories but now the story's mine
The artist has taken control of their story and is changing the narrative for themselves.

so let's build a fire and throw in the papers in the past
The singer wants to move on from their past, so they burn old papers and documents.

no need to try and save it now, it's never gonna last
There's no point in trying to save what's gone, it's better to accept the present and move forward.

it's a starry night, the moon is bright, let's call the old owl in
The artist is embracing the beauty of the moment and calling the owl to share it with them.

let him know we're leaving, say goodbye old friend
The artist tells the owl they're leaving and saying goodbye to their old home, which they consider a friend.

goodbye to the years here, they've flown, goodbye to the only home I've known
The artist is saying goodbye to the years they've spent in their home and the memories associated with it.

the wheels of the world are rolling through, and if the door is closing I guess I'm running too
The world is constantly changing, and the singer feels like they must move along with it, or risk getting left behind.

fourteen years my family walked these crooked floors, forty years before my father opened up the doors, stony stand it all began, three hundred years before, what story is beginning if this one is no more
The artist is reflecting on their family's history in their home, dating back three hundred years. They wonder what story will unfold now that their story in the home has ended.

feels like a wave that can't be stopped, a coming day my heart will drop, feels like a war that won't be won without a gun
The singer feels like they're facing a challenge that can't be overcome and it's causing them pain and distress.

so goodbye bird and bear, goodbye tree and land, goodbye to all I know like on the back of my hand
The singer is saying farewell to everything they are familiar with in their home.

i walk the grounds and make the rounds of this place I've loved so well, fire up the diesel in a last lone croft farewell
The singer is taking a final walk around the property they love so much, preparing to leave it behind and start anew.

the wheels of the world are turning fast
The world is changing rapidly, and the artist must keep up with the pace.

Contributed by Isabelle N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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