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Railroad Song

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[Intro]
D  Dsus2  D  Dsus2  D  Dsus2  D
[Verse 1]
  DWhen I was a Bmboy    Gin the days of the Dtrain,Dsus2  
  DI'd sit by the trBmacks on a long summer dAay,
  And I'd wave at the Gbrakeman, and he'd wave back at Dme,Dsus2  
  DWhile the thunderclouds Bmrolled    Aout of East TenneDssee.Dsus2  
[Verse 2]
  But the dreams of Bma boy    Gdisappear when you're Dgrown,Dsus2  
  DAnd though I may Bmdream, the railroads are Agone,
  The ties, they arGe rotting, and the tracks shot tDo helDsus2l,
  DAlong with mBmy dreams     Aand the old railroaDd belDsus4l.
[Chorus]
  DIn my dreams I ride the Grails to ACaliDforniaDsus2,
  DWorkin' diners and Gfarms aAlong the Dway,Dsus2  
  DOr I'd hop a ride to Ghide aAcross the Dborder,Dsus2  
  DWith a black-eyed girl beGside me Aall the wayD.
[Verse 3]
N.C.                               Bm                         G      D  Dsus2  
  But now the mountains are silent,    and the railroads are gone,
  DAnd the coal towns no Bmlonger hear the miners at Adawn,
  But the train whistle Gshrills out her memories to Dme,Dsus2  
  DWhile the thunderclouds Bmroll    Aout of East TenneDssee.Dsus4  
[Chorus]
  DIn my dreams I ride the Grails to ACaliDforniaDsus2,
  DWorkin' diners and Gfarms aAlong the Dway,Dsus2  
  DOr I'd hop a ride to Ghide aAcross the Dborder,Dsus2  
  DWith a black-eyed girl beGside me Aall the wayD.
[Verse 4]
N.C.                               Bm                         G      D  Dsus2  
  But now the mountains are silent,    and the railroads are gone,
  DAnd the coal towns no Bmlonger hear the miners at Adawn,
  But the train whistle Gshrills out her memories to Dme,
  While the thunderclouds Bmroll    Aout of East TenneDssee.

All chords in this song (6)

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Railroad Song

by Jim Croce

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Dsus2

Dsus4

[Intro]

D Dsus2 D Dsus2 D Dsus2 D

[Verse 1]

D Bm G D Dsus2

When I was a boy in the days of the train,

D Bm A

I'd sit by the tracks on a long summer day,

G D Dsus2

And I'd wave at the brakeman, and he'd wave back at me,

D Bm A D Dsus2

While the thunderclouds rolled out of East Tennessee.

[Verse 2]

Bm G D Dsus2

But the dreams of a boy disappear when you're grown,

D Bm A

And though I may dream, the railroads are gone,

G D Dsus2

The ties, they are rotting, and the tracks shot to hell,

D Bm A D Dsus4

Along with my dreams and the old railroad bell.

[Chorus]

D G A D Dsus2

In my dreams I ride the rails to California,

D G A D Dsus2

Workin' diners and farms along the way,

D G A D Dsus2

Or I'd hop a ride to hide across the border,

D G A D

With a black-eyed girl beside me all the way.

[Verse 3]

Bm G D Dsus2

N.C.

But now the mountains are silent, and the railroads are gone,

D Bm A

And the coal towns no longer hear the miners at dawn,

G D Dsus2

But the train whistle shrills out her memories to me,

D Bm A D Dsus4

While the thunderclouds roll out of East Tennessee.

[Chorus]

D G A D Dsus2

In my dreams I ride the rails to California,

D G A D Dsus2

Workin' diners and farms along the way,

D G A D Dsus2

Or I'd hop a ride to hide across the border,

D G A D

With a black-eyed girl beside me all the way.

[Verse 4]

Bm G D Dsus2

N.C.

But now the mountains are silent, and the railroads are gone,

D Bm A

And the coal towns no longer hear the miners at dawn,

G D

But the train whistle shrills out her memories to me,

Bm A D

While the thunderclouds roll out of East Tennessee.

About Railroad Song Chords by Jim Croce

Learn how to play Railroad Song by Jim Croce with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Railroad Song chords”, “Railroad Song guitar chords”, or “Jim Croce Railroad Song 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 Railroad Song chords and for experienced players who want accurate Railroad Song lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, Dsus2, Bm, G, A, Dsus4.

FAQ — Railroad Song by Jim Croce

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Is "Railroad Song" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Railroad Song" in?

The chords for "Railroad Song" show the original chord names (including D, Dsus2, Bm, G, A, Dsus4). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.