Railroad Blues - Beastie Boys

All aboard, trackseventeen — all aboard

Yee-ha

This song is dedicated to all the hardworking pioneers of thiscountry

Settin’out discoverin the West

Bringing the railroad to where no man has ever been before

Johnny, he worked on the railroad — pounding on iron and steel

Working his way out west now — the only sure thing’s his nextmeal

America was young, but she was a-growing

Layin’tracks across the prairie not knowing where they’re goin'

His momma didn’t want him leaving, but now he’s headin’out west

She said «Please don’t go"but he said «If I don’tI’ll never rest»

It wasn’t always easy, some of the boys died

Johnny wrote her letters but he received no replies

Johnny, he worked on the railroad — pounding on iron and steel

Working his way out west now — the only sure thing’s his nextmeal

Johnny reached San Francisco tired and broke without a dime

Started panning for gold just a-hoping he would find

The gold wasn’t a-rushin', but Johnny kept on minin'

Trying to send his momma somethin’with the letters he wassignin'

And one day Johnny finally got a reply

When he opened Momma’s letter, he began to cry

She’s a-writing from her deathbed and this is what she said:

«Please don’t be mad at me, son, cause tomorrow I’ll be dead»

Johnny, he worked on the railroad — pounding on iron and steel

Working his way out west now — the only sure thing’s his nextmeal

Ah-ha!

Ah-ha!

Ha!