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Daddy Whats A Train

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4.920 votes

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[Chorus]
DDaddy, what's a train?  Is it Gsomething I can ride?
Does it Dcarry lots of grown-up folks and E7little kids inA7side?
Is it Dbigger than our D7house? Well Ghow can I explain
When my Dlittle boy asks me, A7Daddy whats a Dtrain?
[Verse 1]
When DI was just a boy Gliving by the track
Us Dkids'd gather up the coal in a E7big ol' big gunny A7sack,
And then we'd Dhear the warning D7sound as the Gtrain pulled into view
And the Dengineer would smile and wave as A7she went rolling Dthrough;D7  
[Bridge 1]
(spoken)
She Gblew so loud and clear that we had to Dcover up our ears
And we E7counted cars as high as we could Ago.
I can Dalmost hear the D7steam and the Gbig old drivers scream
With a Asound my little A7boy will never Dknow.
[Chorus]
DDaddy, what's a train?  Is it Gsomething I can ride?
Does it Dcarry lots of grown-up folks and E7little kids inA7side?
Is it Dbigger than our D7house? Well Ghow can I explain
When my Dlittle boy asks me, A7Daddy whats a Dtrain?
[Verse 2]
I Dguess the times have changed and Gkids are different now;
'Cause Dsome don't even seem to know that E7milk comes from a A7cow.
My Dlittle boy can D7tell the names of Gall the baseball stars
And I Dremember how we memorized the A7names on railroad Dcars:
[Bridge 2]
(spoken)
The GWabash and TP, LackaDwanna and the IC
E7Nickel Plate and the good old Santa AFe;
DJust names out of the D7past I Gguess they're fading fast
AEvery time I A7hear my little boy say,
[Chorus]
DDaddy, what's a train?  Is it Gsomething I can ride?
Does it Dcarry lots of grown-up folks and E7little kids inA7side?
Is it Dbigger than our D7house? Well Ghow can I explain
When my Dlittle boy asks me, A7Daddy whats a Dtrain?
[Verse 3]
We Dclimbed into the car and Gdrove down into town
DRight up to the depot house but E7no one was aA7round.
We Dsearched the yard toD7gether for Gsomething I could show
But I Dknew there hadn't been a train for a A7dozen years or Dso.D7  
[Bridge 3]
(spoken)
GAll the things I did when DI was just a kid
How E7far away those old memories aAppear,
I Dguess it's plain to D7see they still Gmean a lot to me
'Cause my amDbition was to A7be an engiDneer.
[Chorus]
DDaddy, what's a train?  Is it Gsomething I can ride?
Does it Dcarry lots of grown-up folks and E7little kids inA7side?
Is it Dbigger than our D7house? Well Ghow can I explain
When my Dlittle boy asks me, A7Daddy whats a Dtrain?

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Chord Book

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Daddy Whats A Train

by Utah Phillips

Lyrics & chords · Original key

[Chorus]

D G

Daddy, what's a train? Is it something I can ride?

D E7 A7

Does it carry lots of grown-up folks and little kids inside?

D D7 G

Is it bigger than our house? Well how can I explain

D A7 D

When my little boy asks me, Daddy whats a train?

[Verse 1]

D G

When I was just a boy living by the track

D E7 A7

Us kids'd gather up the coal in a big ol' big gunny sack,

D D7 G

And then we'd hear the warning sound as the train pulled into view

D A7 D D7

And the engineer would smile and wave as she went rolling through;

[Bridge 1]

(spoken)

G D

She blew so loud and clear that we had to cover up our ears

E7 A

And we counted cars as high as we could go.

D D7 G

I can almost hear the steam and the big old drivers scream

A A7 D

With a sound my little boy will never know.

[Chorus]

D G

Daddy, what's a train? Is it something I can ride?

D E7 A7

Does it carry lots of grown-up folks and little kids inside?

D D7 G

Is it bigger than our house? Well how can I explain

D A7 D

When my little boy asks me, Daddy whats a train?

[Verse 2]

D G

I guess the times have changed and kids are different now;

D E7 A7

'Cause some don't even seem to know that milk comes from a cow.

D D7 G

My little boy can tell the names of all the baseball stars

D A7 D

And I remember how we memorized the names on railroad cars:

[Bridge 2]

(spoken)

G D

The Wabash and TP, Lackawanna and the IC

E7 A

Nickel Plate and the good old Santa Fe;

D D7 G

Just names out of the past I guess they're fading fast

A A7

Every time I hear my little boy say,

[Chorus]

D G

Daddy, what's a train? Is it something I can ride?

D E7 A7

Does it carry lots of grown-up folks and little kids inside?

D D7 G

Is it bigger than our house? Well how can I explain

D A7 D

When my little boy asks me, Daddy whats a train?

[Verse 3]

D G

We climbed into the car and drove down into town

D E7 A7

Right up to the depot house but no one was around.

D D7 G

We searched the yard together for something I could show

D A7 D D7

But I knew there hadn't been a train for a dozen years or so.

[Bridge 3]

(spoken)

G D

All the things I did when I was just a kid

E7 A

How far away those old memories appear,

D D7 G

I guess it's plain to see they still mean a lot to me

D A7 D

'Cause my ambition was to be an engineer.

[Chorus]

D G

Daddy, what's a train? Is it something I can ride?

D E7 A7

Does it carry lots of grown-up folks and little kids inside?

D D7 G

Is it bigger than our house? Well how can I explain

D A7 D

When my little boy asks me, Daddy whats a train?

About Daddy Whats A Train Chords by Utah Phillips

Learn how to play Daddy Whats A Train by Utah Phillips with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Daddy Whats A Train chords”, “Daddy Whats A Train guitar chords”, or “Utah Phillips Daddy Whats A Train chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Daddy Whats A Train chords and for experienced players who want accurate Daddy Whats A Train lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, G, E7, A7, D7, A.

FAQ — Daddy Whats A Train by Utah Phillips

How do I play "Daddy Whats A Train" by Utah Phillips on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Daddy Whats A Train" by Utah Phillips on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Daddy Whats A Train" by Utah Phillips free?

Yes. The chords for "Daddy Whats A Train" by Utah Phillips are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Daddy Whats A Train" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Daddy Whats A Train" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Daddy Whats A Train"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Daddy Whats A Train" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Daddy Whats A Train" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Daddy Whats A Train" by Utah Phillips with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Utah Phillips below.

What key is "Daddy Whats A Train" in?

The chords for "Daddy Whats A Train" show the original chord names (including D, G, E7, A7, D7, A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.