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Ghost Brake Man

from Dark Songs Vol. 6 by Holiday Music Motel

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(Holly Olm, Tomcat Joe, Troy Therrien) Performed by: Holly Olm - guitar, vocals / Troy Therrien - guitar, vocals / Tomcat Joe - vocals, percussive guitar / Tony Menzer - bass / Johnny Orlock - harp / Dan Smrz - drums

lyrics

Early in the evening, I put on my work clothes
Grabbed my lantern and off to work I’d go
Hopped on a railcar – swing my lantern left and right
To let the engineer know – everything’s alright

Little did I know that day – things wouldn’t work the way I planned
That’s how the legends say I became the
Ghost Brake Man

Riding the freight train north on track 49
I flipped the switch to make the train change lines
But I didn’t notice that the switch should’ve moved some more
The train derailed and dumped out all the ore

I worked with the cleanup crew – did my best to lend a hand
Still didn’t have a clue – soon I’d be the ghost brake man

On came a passenger train – rolling down the track
I took off running to try and hold the engine back
Knelt down on the side of the rail – tried to flash that warning red
My lantern light went out – that’s how I wound up dead

Now I’m forever working – the rails are my eternal home
This damn lantern’s my reminder of why I walk alone
If I could live that day all over again
I’d make sure it wouldn’t end this way
I wouldn’t be the condemned – ghost brake man
Ghost brake man
Ghost brake man

credits

from Dark Songs Vol. 6, released October 30, 2015

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Holiday Music Motel Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

A 1952 motel taken over by musicians in 2007 for the purpose of creating and hosting collaborative songwriting events, The Holiday Music Motel is the world's only motel with its own internet radio station that plays 100% self-generated content 24/7.

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