Jackson was the first to join the Grand Ole Opry before he got a recording contract. He signed to Columbia Records and debuted in 1958 with "Don't Be Angry." The song didn't score in the country music top 40, but it got him recognition.His breakthrough came in the country Top 40 in late 1958, with a song written by a young George Jones, "Life to Go." It peaked at #2 in early 1959 and his follow-up record, "Waterloo," was #1 for 5 weeks and crossed over into the Top 40 Pop charts, where it reached #4. His next #1 came in 1964, with "B.J. The D.J." (about an over-worked country music radio station DJ, who crashes his car in a rainstorm because of bad tires). Jackson was the first to record a live record from the Grand Ole Opry, in 1963 with "Old Showboat." Other classics include "The Carpet On The Floor," "Why I'm Walkin'," "A Wound Time Can't Erase" and "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water." Jackson also recorded a cover of Lobo's 1971 hit, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."
From 1958 to 1971, Jackson had 35 Top 40 Country Hits. Along with Ray Price, Jackson is considered a cornerstone, after Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, in the hard-driving honky tonk sound in the late 50's and early 60's.
In 2006, Jackson sued the Grand Ole Opry for $10 million, claiming age discrimination. As a member of the Opry for over fifty years, Jackson believed that management was sidelining him in favor of younger artists. In his court filing, Jackson claimed that Grand Ole Opry general manager, Pete Fisher, stated that he didn't "want any gray hairs on that stage or in the audience, and before I'm done there won't be any." Fisher is also alleged to have told Jackson that he was "too old and too country."
smoke along the tracks
Stonewall Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To look this old world over under God's blue sky
My darling stood there weeping as I was looking back
I kissed my baby cryin' in the smoke along the track
Goodbye so long until I come back home you'll be my dream
Goodbye so long there's lots of places that I've never seen
I'll always be a drifter but I'll be driftin' back
To where I left you cryin' in the smoke along the track
I like to keep on goin' it helps me when I'm blue
I get the urge to travel that's all I want to do
I know I just can't settle down because I like to roam
And when I hear that whistle blow I've gotta move along
Goodbye so long there's something down the track keeps calling me
Goodbye so long I guess that's just the way I'll always be
So when I get that feeling don't try to hold me back
I'll only leave you cryin' in the smoke along the track
I know my baby loves me I love my baby too
But she don't understand me when I'm feeling blue
And when I hear that whistle blow I hurry home and pack
And leave my baby cryin' in the smoke along the track
Goodbye so long I hate to leave you but I've gotta go
Goodbye so long it's coming now just heard that whistle blow
It'll be here in a minute you'll wave and I'll look back
I'm gonna leave you cryin' in the smoke along the track
The song "Smoke Along the Track" by Stonewall Jackson expresses the heartbreak of leaving loved ones behind while pursuing a restless life of constantly moving around. The singer describes catching a train and leaving his crying baby behind in the smoke along the tracks. He justifies his traveling spirit, admitting that he has to keep moving and cannot settle down. He acknowledges that his baby loves him, but she cannot understand why he needs to keep moving. The train whistle serves as a siren call that he cannot resist, and he must leave his baby behind in pursuit of the unknown.
The song captures the idea of the "drifter," someone who cannot stay in one place for long and is constantly searching for something new. It also portrays the conflict between the desire to explore and the yearning for a stable, loving relationship. The singer loves his baby and hates leaving her behind, but he cannot ignore the pull of the open road.
Line by Line Meaning
One day the train was passin' I caught it crawlin' by
I saw a train move slowly and I decided to catch a ride
To look this old world over under God's blue sky
To travel the world and experience its beauty
My darling stood there weeping as I was looking back
My loved one was crying as I left them behind
I kissed my baby cryin' in the smoke along the track
I said goodbye to my crying loved one before I left on the train
Goodbye so long until I come back home you'll be my dream
Saying farewell to my loved one, who will remain a dream until I return
Goodbye so long there's lots of places that I've never seen
There are many places to explore and discover
I'll always be a drifter but I'll be driftin' back
I will always be a traveler, but I will return home eventually
To where I left you cryin' in the smoke along the track
I will return to the place where I left my loved one in tears
I like to keep on goin' it helps me when I'm blue
Traveling helps me feel better when I'm sad
I get the urge to travel that's all I want to do
I have a strong desire to travel and explore
I know I just can't settle down because I like to roam
I can't stay in one place for too long because I love to travel
And when I hear that whistle blow I've gotta move along
Hearing the sound of a train makes me want to travel again
Goodbye so long there's something down the track keeps calling me
Saying farewell to my loved one because there's always something new to explore
Goodbye so long I guess that's just the way I'll always be
Saying farewell and accepting that I will always be a traveler
So when I get that feeling don't try to hold me back
When I feel the urge to travel, don't try to stop me
I'll only leave you cryin' in the smoke along the track
If I don't travel, I will be sad and unhappy, but it will leave my loved one in tears
I know my baby loves me I love my baby too
I am aware of the love my partner and I share for each other
But she don't understand me when I'm feeling blue
My partner doesn't understand my need for travel when I feel sad
And when I hear that whistle blow I hurry home and pack
When I hear the train whistle, I quickly go home to pack my bags
And leave my baby cryin' in the smoke along the track
Saying farewell to my loved one and leaving them in tears once again
Goodbye so long I hate to leave you but I've gotta go
Saying goodbye and expressing reluctance to leave, but feeling compelled to travel
Goodbye so long it's coming now just heard that whistle blow
Saying farewell and hearing the train whistle in the distance
It'll be here in a minute you'll wave and I'll look back
The train will be here soon and I'll leave my loved one in tears once again
I'm gonna leave you cryin' in the smoke along the track
I will depart and leave my loved one in tears, with the smoky train tracks fading away behind me
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind