Monica Grabin: Song Lyrics & Clips

• MP3 short clip, hi-fi play (broadband)

I’ve sung this song since I was about 13, and never get tired of it, although I understand it a lot better now. When I sing it, I see my old high school friends, who are all scattered and gone.

While riding on a train going west,
I fell asleep for to take my rest,
I dreamed a dream that made me sad,
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had.

With half damp eyes, I steered to the room,
Where my friends and I had spent many an afternoon.
Where we'd weathered together many a years' storm.
Laughin' and singin' till the wee hours of the morn.

By the old wood stove our hats were hung,
Our tales were told and our stories were sung.
We longed for nothing and we were satisfied,
Jokin' and talkin' about the world outside.

As easy as it was to tell black from white,
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right.
And our choices they were few so the thought never hit,
That the one road we traveled would ever shatter or split.

With hungry hearts through the heat and cold,
We never much thought we could get very old.
We thought we could sit forever in fun,
But our chances really were a million to one.

Many a year has passed and gone,
Many a gamble has been lost and won,
And many a road taken by many a first friend,
And each one I have never seen again.

I wish I wish I wish in vain,
That we could sit simply in that room again.
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat,
I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that.

While riding on a train going west,
I fell asleep to take my rest,
I dreamed a dream that made me sad.
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had.