Little John the hobo taught me how to ride the rail
As he told me of the days he spent wranglin' on the
trail
From the canyons of north Texas to the rail yards on
the plain
I learned half the his'try of the west there on that
train
And Little John he told me 'bout the rivers he did
cross
'Bout ridin' through the dust storms on the back of
his old hoss
'Bout bandit pistoleros and the cattle that they
stole
And the hundred mile ride to the desert water hole
As we rode out to Memphis lookin' for a better life
He told me 'bout the past while I thought about my
wife
And the miles and years between us seemed like only
yesterday
As Little John the hobo taught me how to run away
Little John drank whiskey through the night as we did
ride
He said it chased the demons from the canyons deep
inside
And Little John he told me that the whiskey eased the
pain
So Little John drank whiskey I just drank the rain
While we rode out to Memphis lookin' for a better
life
He thought about the past while I told him 'bout my
wife
And the miles and years between us seemed like only
yesterday
As Little John the hobo taught me how to run away
When we finally rode into the yard at Tennessee
I looked up at Little John and he looked down at me
He said that he was headed for a town called New
Orleans
Said somethin' 'bout a daughter that he hadn't ever
seen
So we parted ways in Memphis lookin' for a better
life
He's goin' to find his past I'm goin' back home to my
wife
For I never will forget him walkin' down that street
alone
Little John the hobo taught me how to go back home
Little John the hobo taught me how to go back home
