I had the title before today and the story from a book I read. Very rough draft from just now. needs music please. Expect further revision.
I whittled some lines down to make 'em more uniform. Hope that helps.
Freight Train
I knew a guy called Freight Train
And he could really play the blues
come from way back Mississippi
Spent a lifetime payin dues
He said he once knew Robert
He was friends with Fred McDowell
He grew up picking cotton
That was all that he knew how
Cigar box for a guitar
It was strung with chicken wire
Took a while to perfect his style
But he said he had the fire
his hands would slightly tremble
They were mostly skin n bone
Sometimes the sound an angel choir
Sometimes it seemed to moan
Well fast don't rightly matter
Yessen loud don't mean a thing
N playin ain't really playin
Til ya learn to bend a string
And then of course he'd show me
And his face was just pure bliss
I said don't stop just play some more
And it'd sorta sound like this:
Guitar break
Skin was cracked n his face was lined
Like a worn out old road map
Stop sometimes when a car'd pulled up
Leave his guitar in my lap
In between the customers
He'd scratch out simple tunes
Then another car rolled up
And he'd drop what he was doin
I've seen the greats on blues guitar
But the best I ever heard
Was a stooped old guy who still pumped gas
Just outside Hattiesburg
his hands would slightly tremble
They were mostly skin n bone
Sometimes the sound an angel choir
Sometimes it seemed to moan
Well fast don't rightly matter
Yessen loud don't mean a thing
N playin ain't really playin
Til ya learn to bend a string
And then of course he'd show me
And his face was just pure bliss
I said don't stop just play some more
And it'd sorta sound like this:
Guitar break
@mardeycranbleson Feb 2022
I’m going to have to be honest I did record something for this but I don’t traditionally think of blues songs as having Choruses so I ran out of steam when it came to that part and it was like 2 am. So I have the verses that are kind of interesting and a guitar break but not the chorus.
@tseaver Feb 2022
Nice write! Wonderful storytelling here, and a great characterization.
@yewnorker Feb 2022
Thanks Tim. I'll try to find someone. Appreciate the kind words.
@timfatchen Feb 2022
I like the story. Regrettably I'm a hack guitarist and the CBG for this would need to be a slide. There are some good blues guitarist on this site, go find some of their songs (use the search #blues simple) listen & comment, or put a cry for a blues guitarist up on the forums.