I CAN ALWAYS HEAR THE FREIGHT TRAIN

I can always hear the freight trains
when they roll through gallup
whistle blows behind the zia motel
rainy and malia closing down the diner
across the interstate by the broken church bell
tumbleweeds drift down the avenue
past the brewery
like seers with no more secrets to tell
I still got debts to pay
I always hear the freight train
even though i'm …..  far away

I can always hear the freight trains
like they howled in 85
through the cold nights with rainy and malia
and the dusty summer evenings
boxcars rolling on through toward flagstaff
go to the well for a gulp of agua fria
we'd lie in the apartment
looking out at the world
and what we could see deep in the sangria
there's still things I don't know
I always hear the freight trains
but that was long ago

                  me and rainy and malia.
                  Churches and weather vanes
                  broken clocks --- interstates
                  the rumble of the trains

I can always hear the freight trains
and the laughter of the girls
we were like family and I was all they had
their father worked hard
and they cleaned the church next door
I worked the shop with him, he was like my dad
Till the snow shut the road
and he never came home 
his car flipped over down by Soledad.
There's things I can't turn back 
I always here the freight trains
but i'm a long way down the track









                  me and rainy and malia.
                  Sisters churches dreams
                  broken clocks --- interstates
                  how the real world seems

I can always hear the freight trains
and the last ring of the bell
like a gunshot in the black of that night.
And I can always see her eyes
and the last time they closed
underneath Santo Domingo's blessed lights
And I can always hear the sounds
of her dear sister's cries
screaming out that I knew it wasn't right.
There's journeys that will never begin
and I can always hear the freight trains
trains i'll never see again.

I can always hear the freight trains

I can always hear the freight trains

I can always hear the freight trains

I can always hear the freight trains