Beside A Railway Line

A song by Roger Ilott (1991)
Roger Ilott - vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass.
Penny Davies - vocals, drums, mandolin.

A long time ago by a railway line
there lived a boy with a face a bit like mine.
He'd watch the steam trains rolling by -
the days were long, and the little boy's eyes were wide.

He'd rush outside when he'd hear the sound
of a goods train heading slowly out of town,
he'd swing on the gate, and, with a great big grin,
he'd wave at the Drivers - and the Drivers waved back at him!

Chorus
Woo-woo, woo-woo
if you close your eyes you can hear the whistle still,
woo-woo, woo-woo,
and the clatter of the trains running back to Erskineville.

He'd help his Mum hang the washing on the line-
the sheets were as white as the clouds up in the sky-
but next thing you know there'd be a sooty old train
and you can understand why Mum'd complain!

He'd stand on the bridge at Hurlstone Park Station-
the keenest Loco Driver in the nation-
and it didn't seem to matter if it was rainy or fine,
life was pretty good beside that railway line.

Well, I never did get to drive a train,
now there's famine and floods and war and acid rain,
But when my little boy grins and waves to his Dad,
I think to myself "well, things aren't all that bad.'

And though my hair's getting more than a little bit grey,
and the world seems to turn a bit quicker every day,
I can still see through that young boy's eyes
those endless days, and steam trains rolling by.

A long time age by a railway line
there lived a little boy with a face a bit like mine,
I can see him still with his eyes so wide -
and those endless days beside a railway line.