INTRO: There's a big black train I've been hearin' all my life Every night at sundown I hear it's lonesome cry When I look through the screen door I see a rocking chair My mama's sitting in it thinking 'bout that world out there CHORUS: She wants to go over that mountain to see what's on the other side She said "I want to go over that mountain before the day that I die" SOLO She's never set foot out of this poor valley holler But she talks about her dreams of some other way of life 87 years of living and never had much of anything Is it asking too much to see a damned old diesel train CHORUS SOLO 20 years ago today my daddy left this holler He said "I'll be coming back tomorrow night" I remember the sound of his boot heels in the gravel Well he ain't been back since and he never said goodbye CHORUS Before the day that I die