Story Behind The Song

I grew up in Pinole, Ca. and we had Santa Fe railroad track running behind our property. I always like listening to the trains go by and I used to lay there and think about jumping on one of them at night and just let it go and see where I'd end up.

Song Description

I grew up in Pinole Ca. (Northern Ca.) we had the Santa Fe railroad tracks almost in our back yard. I'd hear trains go by everyday. Hobos would actually jump off them when they were going slow enough through town and they would run down the hill through our backyard and go between the houses to get to the street. It was pretty cool to find out that I had an Uncle when I was young that ws really a hobo. He told me some pretty good stories as we drove from Sacremento to East Texas via the rail road. We took the roads that ran along side the Cotton belt which was the Santa Fe trains. It was a great experience for a 14yr old kid to drive that far and listen to my great uncle Joe tell me about his hobo friends and to live the life on the road as the hobos did. I'll exolian in an interview later sometime.

Lyrics

"Santa Fe"
Lyrics and Music
Written by Lewis Derr copyright 1989 BMI

Verse 1
When I was a little boy we lived by the tracks,
And every night I'd hear those trains as they'd pass by.
I often thought about taking a ride,
hopping a boxcar late at night,
Not knowing where I was going, or where I'd been...

Chorus
Santa Fe----- Take me away
Santa Fe----- Take me away-----

Verse 2

I knew a man when I was young
He said "I'm your Uncle son,
and I can tell youj, all about those trains"
Then he lit a cigar and he tipped his hat,
looked at me and said "Imagine that, a
little boy that wants to be a Hobo...ah ha (chuckle)

Verse 3

After two hours or more he was going strong,
It was like being on a train all along,
I could see the years roll by... as He spoke.
Well he carried on another hour or so
Then he looked at his watch and said
"I got to go...The 405 is running right on time. Santa Fe...Take me away. Santa fe...Take me away...

Verse 4
As he headed up towards the tracks
I waved to him then he tipped his hat,
I knew this wasn't my time or my train
Now everytime I hear that train pass by
I stop for a moment and I close my eyes
I remember Uncle Joe and the 405.
Man them ole' trains sure kept him alive. Santa Fe...Take me away...Santa Fe..Take me away...... (break)
go into fast train beat with fiddle)(howdown speed)

Yeeeeee haw.....

Last chorus

Santa Fe-----------------------Take me away
Santa Fe------------------------Take me away Yeeee ha
(abrupt end)