Greenlight On The Southern

Greenlight On The Southern - Tony Rice

Standing on the sidetrack

At the south end of town

On a dry hot dusty August

Day the steam pipe pouring down

The fireman with his long oil

Can oiling the old valve gears

Waiting for the fast mail

Train to semaphore to clear

The engineer in the old high cab

His gold watch in his hand

Looking at the water glass

And letting down the sand

Rolling out on the old

Main line taking up the slack

Gone today so they say

But tomorrow he'll be back

Oh if I could return to

Those boyhood days of mine

And the greenlight on the

Southern southern railroad line

Creeping down the rusty rails

Of the w**d grown branch line

The section houses gray and

White by the yard limit sign

The hoggers call the old high ball

No more time to wait

Rolling down to Birmingham

With a ten car load for freight

Oh if I could return to

Those boyhood days of mine

And the greenlight on the

Southern southern railroad line

The whistle scream with a hiss of steam

The headlight gleams clear

The drivers roll on the green

And go getting mighty near

Handing up the orders to

The engine crew on time

It's the Alabama great

Southern AGS railroad line

Oh if I could return to

Those boyhood days of mine

And that greenlight on

The southern southern railroad line

Oh if I could return to

Those boyhood days of mine

And that greenlight on

The southern southern railroad line