Stiff black skin on a cold iron rail
Fogging out like a ghost on a trail
Grease on the palm and a salt-heavy scent
Waiting here where the heavy lines bent
I hum in the haze of the yard
Holding the line while the winter hits hard
Tied to the track in a leather-bound grip
Waiting for silver and iron to slip
Cold coffee stains on a cardboard box
Rust on the hinges and old heavy locks
I feel the shiver of a midnight train
Sinking deep in the gray morning rain
Heavy freight hauling the coal and the ore
Rumbling loud like a wide open door
I wrap the metal in a tight velvet hold
Staying warm while the night air turns cold
I hum in the haze of the yard
Holding the line while the winter hits hard
Tied to the track in a leather-bound grip
Waiting for silver and iron to slip
Steel on steel makes a ringing sound
Shaking the dirt and the frozen ground
Syllables clicking like a clock on the wall
Waiting for one heavy hammer to fall
Empty pockets and a worn out old seam
Lost in the steam of a diesel machine
I hold the switch with a steady dead hand
The only thing left in this desolate land
I hum in the haze of the yard
Holding the line while the winter hits hard
Tied to the track in a leather-bound grip
Waiting for silver and iron to slip
Leather and steel.
Humming in the haze.
Leather and steel.
