Desperados Waiting for a Train

David Allan Coe

About Desperados Waiting for a Train

"Desperados Waiting for a Train" is a song written by Guy Clark and originally recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker for his 1973 album Viva Terlingua. It subsequently appeared on Rita Coolidge's 1974 album Fall into Spring, David Allan Coe's third album, The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy (1974), Tom Rush's album Ladies Love Outlaws the same year, before Clark's own rendition was released on his first LP, 1975's Old No. 1. Clark has stated that the song is about his grandmother's boyfriend named Jack who was a grandfather figure to him. The song was also covered by Slim Pickens in 1981 on his self-titled album (Picc-A-Dilly PIC-3484). The American country music group the Highwaymen released it as a single in September 1985. It was the second single from the album Highwayman. The song reached #15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Nanci Griffith recorded it for her 1998 album Other Voices Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful), accompanied by Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Eric Taylor. 


Year:
1995
5:36
147 
#1

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I'd sing the Red River Valley 
And he'd sit in the kitchen and cry
Run his fingers through seventy years of livin'
Wonder Lord has every well I drilled ran dry
We were friends me and that old man
Like desperados waiting for the train 
Like desperados waiting for the train

He's a drifter and a driller of oil wells 
And an old school man of the world
Taught me how to drive his car when he's too drunk to
And he'd wink and give me money for the girls
And our lives was like some old western movie
Like desperados waiting for the train like desperados waiting for the train

From the time that I could walk he take me with him
To a place called the Green Frog Cafe
There was old men with beer guts and dominos
Lyin' bout their lives while they'd play
And I was just a kid that they all called his sidekick
Like desperados waiting for the train 
Like desperados waiting for the train

Now I looked up and he was pushin' eighty
And there's brown tobacco stains all down his chin
To me he's one of the heroes of this country
So why's he all dressed up like some old men
Drinking beer and playing moon and 42
Like desperados waiting for the train 
Like desperados waiting for the train

Then just before he died I went to see him 
I was grown and he was almost gone
We just closed our eyes and dreamed us up a kitchen
And sang another verse to that old song
(Don't cry Jack it's only Jesus comin')
Like desperados waiting for the train 
Like desperados waiting for the train
Like desperados waiting for the train

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David Allan Coe

David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. As a singer, his biggest hits were "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile," "The Ride," "You Never Even Called Me by My Name," "She Used to Love Me a Lot," and "Longhaired Redneck." His best-known compositions are the No. 1 successes "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)," which was covered by Tanya Tucker; and "Take This Job and Shove It," which was later covered by Johnny Paycheck that was later a hit movie (both Coe and Paycheck had minor parts in the film). more »

4 fans

Written by: Guy Clark

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Origin
"Desperados Waiting for a Train" was written by Guy Clark. This song remains one of his most popular and most covered songs.
Multiple Artists
Although the song is most closely associated with Clark, it's been covered by numerous artists, including David Allan Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker, Nanci Griffith, and The Highwaymen.
Release Year
Clark's version was released in 1975 as part of his debut album "Old No. 1.”
Emotive Content
The song loosely tells the story of Clark's relationship with his grandmother's boyfriend, who was like a grandfather to him. It's about aging, the passage of time, and the bond formed between a young boy and an old man.
Nanci Griffith's Version
Country and folk singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith covered the song on her 1993 album "Other Voices, Other Rooms." It was a tribute album to the songwriters who influenced her.
The Highwaymen
"Desperados Waiting for a Train" was also covered by The Highwaymen, a country music supergroup composed of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
Multiple Acclaims
Rolling Stone magazine named "Desperados Waiting for a Train" one of the 100 greatest country songs of all time in 2014.
David Allan Coe's Cover
David Allan Coe, a country singer with outlaw image, covered this song on his 1981 album "Hello in There."
Personal Touch
Jerry Jeff Walker, known for his own songwriting prowess, brought a unique interpretation to the song on his 1976 live album, "A Man Must Carry On."
Emotional Respond
The thoughtful and evocative lyrics of the song have resonated with many listeners and artists alike, making it a beloved classic in the country and folk genre.

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