Well once I knew a railway girl, her age was 17
I gave her all I had to give, but the baggage of my dreams
Stole me from the games we played, scorned me for my mask
And if she's gone she lingers on, I beg you please don't ask

'Twas on a dark March evening, south bound I did ride
My head was out the window when I found her at my side
Asked where I was goin' to, I told but where I came
For the jails in which I've done my time I fail hard to regain

Dark girl, dark girl it kills me so to watch you so afraid
You know that you've been real to those and realness should be paid
Her eyes gone wide, alive she cried. Does pleasure ever last?
We live to see, but patiently, I beg you please don't ask

She took me in despite my sins, fed me tea and such
And as she fell just like a child, I crumbled 'neath her touch
I held my breath and appeared to weep but the fragments of my brain
See each day's but a moment lad, I fail hard to regain

But as it goes the fiddler throws our values to the street
Whole world's pain and sayings as gay as impatience in his field
And captives of this Wall Street trade, we curse our mortal tasks
Forgive us though we all must go and where to, please don't ask

And now I am a misspent man who knows not where he's been
And oh so sapped with sufferin', the worst is yet unseen
Renounce myself for further wealth, I take each breath in vain
Still haunted by that railway girl, I fail hard to regain, hey