My mother used to sing me a song when I was a child, 50 years ago. The song was about a little boy traveling on a train to visit his mother but doesn't have the fare. A couple of lines are, "Please, Mr Conductor, don't put me off the train. The dearest friend I have in the world is waiting for me in vain. She is apt to die any moment and may not live through the day. " Well , that's it.
As a child I might have gotten a couple of words wrong and it may have been a young man not a child. Please help me to remember this song. My mother died and as always there are questions we would like answers to. I hope you can help me with this one. It means a lot to me. Thanks. GailDarlene
By Gail Vance from Toronto, Canada
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It's called "The Lightning Express" by The Everly Brothers. My mom used to sing that to me also when I was little. Now I sing it to my baby. I'm sorry to hear about your mom. My mom also passed two years ago. She loved this song, so I asked everyone to sing it at her burial. I always get choked up when I hear it.
The lightning express from the depot so grand
Had started out on its way
All of the passengers that gathered on board
Seemed to be happy and gay
But one little boy who sat by himself
Was reading a letter he had
You could plainly tell by the look on his face
That the contents of it made him sad
The stern old conductor then started his round
collecting tickets from everyone there
And finally reaching the side of the boy
He gruffly demanded his fare
"I have no ticket" the boy then replied
"But I'll pay you back someday"
"Then I'll put you off at the next stop we make"
But he stopped when he heard the boy say
"Please Mr. Conductor
Don't put me off of this train
The best friend I have in this world sir
Is waiting for me in pain
Expecting to die any moment sir
And may not live through the day
I wanna reach home and kiss mother goodbye
Before God takes her away"
A girl sitting near was heard to exclaim
"If you put him off, it's a shame"
Taking his hand, a collection she made
The boy's way was paid on the train
"I'm obliged to you miss for your kindness to me"
"You're welcome," she said, never fear
Each time the conductor would pass through the car
The boy's words would ring in his ear
"Please Mr. Conductor
Don't put me off of this train
The best friend I have in this world sir
Is waiting for me in pain
Expecting to die any moment sir
And may not live through the day
I wanna reach home and kiss mother goodbye
Before God takes her away"
Grab your tissues, here it is on utube sang by them. I remember my dad singing us this song two 49 years ago.
www.youtube.com/
I love that song and i known it to but Lisa McHugh sings it
I searched for 40 years for this song and cried when I first heard the everley brothers sing it!
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This song may be in the vein of hobo songs, many of which are about riding free. The young hobo, with just a letter, didn't have to ride the box cars. He fooled everyone into thinking he was going to his dying mother and everyone bought it, even the conductor and the folks buying him a ticket. It's not a sad song, but one about a very clever hobo-to-be.
Yeah, a true tear jerker. Dear Mum sang it to me when I was a kid in the late 1930's. Nostalgia.
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