Desperation Train

Thereabouts I came across

Another empty hand

Another tin cup

Shaken by some raggedy old man

Acting blind and keeping time

With his thin white cane

He said that Jesus Christ and Judas

Rode the desperation train

I've been torn down

And rebuilt again

Felt the cold fire of madness

As it ran through my veins

Signals from the green flag

Steam rising in the front cab

I believe we'd left it all behind

On the desperation train

They came

All the king's horses

And all the king's men

For all those who ride

Won't be denied

For we all have rode

The desperation train

Into view the ice truck flew

With a smiling man aboard

All pink cheeks and flashing teeth

In a bright white uniform

He said this laugh is just a mask

It helps to take the strain

But Charlie Chaplin and Lou Costello

Rode the desperation train

And I've played hard

And waited in vain

Seen the red sun of sadness

Slowly sinking in my brain

I've been driving in the long spikes

Laying rails in the cold night

I believe we'd left it all behind

On the desperation train

They came

All the king's horses

And all the king's men

For all those who feel

Fate turns the wheel

Of the last car home

On the desperation rain

We've all been there

Been born too late

From Joan Of Arc

To Norma Rae

Men without shame, we came

The last on this line

And freed from our chains

For all those who chose

The road leading home

We'll never put them back

Together again

For all those who ride

They won't be denied

For we all have rode

The desperation train