NOTHING TO LOSE
William Clark Green Lyrics

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Walking on the rails
The outskirts of town
I got one more cigarette
And I burn it down

The freight no longer runs
The gin shut down
I throw caution to the wind

But there's no one around

Lord the highway is screaming but the truckers never stop
Their bound for Amarillo, California, or Little Rock
I guess I'll keep on moving, but it's a hard thing to choose
Because I got nothing else to gain and I got nothing to lose

I can see the lights of Lubbock
Lord how they shine
Oh the trains down there
Their always on time

If I could catch one headed south
Maybe toward the coast
Then I'd jump off down in Austin town
Walk down the river roads

Lord the highway is screaming but the truckers never stop
Their bound for Amarillo, California, or Little Rock

I guess I'll keep on moving, but it's a hard thing to choose
Because I got nothing else to gain and I got nothing to lose

Overall Meaning

In William Clark Green's song "Nothing to Lose," the singer is in a state of uncertainty and restlessness. He's walking on the outskirts of town, reflecting on the changes that have taken place – the freight no longer runs, the gin has shut down. He is alone, throwing caution to the wind, and lighting up his last cigarette. The highway screams with traffic, but the truckers never stop as they travel to various destinations across the United States.

The singer is contemplating his next move, and he's not sure whether he should keep moving or settle somewhere. The lights of Lubbock shine brightly in the distance, and he reminisces about the trains that used to pass through. If he could catch one headed south, he might hop off in Austin and walk down the river roads. Eventually, he acknowledges that moving on might not be an easy choice, as he has nothing else to gain and nothing to lose.

The song speaks to a sense of lostness and loneliness, and the need to keep moving forward in the absence of purpose or direction. The singer's wanderings represent a kind of existential quest, where he is searching for meaning outside of the constrained and limited world that he's known. Ultimately, the song is about the choices we make, and the tension between stability and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

Walking on the rails
I am walking on the tracks of the railway.

The outskirts of town
I am outside the city, in a distant area.

I got one more cigarette
I have only one cigarette left.

And I burn it down
I smoke the cigarette till the end.

The freight no longer runs
The goods train does not pass through here anymore.

The gin shut down
The liquor store has been closed.

I throw caution to the wind
I ignore any potential danger or risk.

But there's no one around
There is no person nearby.

Lord the highway is screaming but the truckers never stop
The road is busy with trucks, but they keep moving without stopping.

Their bound for Amarillo, California, or Little Rock
These trucks are heading towards different destinations.

I guess I'll keep on moving, but it's a hard thing to choose
I will continue to travel, but it's difficult to decide where to go next.