(Traditional) You know the guitar came to Europe with the gypsies 700 years ago Spain brought the guitar to Mexico 400 years ago U.S.A. picked a quarrel with Mexico and got Texas and California And it also got the guitar and the guitar got us It was Afro American people in the south That worked out this way of playing it though You know in Europe they usually play a guitar But the Afro American peple worked out a way to play it Just like a drum band The base strings were played by a thumb with a steady beat And the top strings were played With the finger and got all the little off beats Up in Syracuse there's a 92 year old woman Who wrote a song, which some of you may know She plays it, who knows it? Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Please don't tell them which train I'm on So they won't know which route I've gone When I die just bury me deep Down at the foot of old Chestnut Street So I can hear old number nine As she goes roaring by Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Please don't tell them which train I'm on So they won't know which route I've gone When I'm dead and in my grave No more good times do I crave Place the tombstone at my head and my feet Tell my friends that I've gone to sleep Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Please don't tell them which train I'm on So they won't know which route I've gone
(Traditional) You know the guitar came to Europe with the gypsies 700 years ago Spain brought the guitar to Mexico 400 years ago U.S.A. picked a quarrel with Mexico and got Texas and California And it also got the guitar and the guitar got us It was Afro American people in the south That worked out this way of playing it though You know in Europe they usually play a guitar But the Afro American peple worked out a way to play it Just like a drum band The base strings were played by a thumb with a steady beat And the top strings were played With the finger and got all the little off beats Up in Syracuse there's a 92 year old woman Who wrote a song, which some of you may know She plays it, who knows it? Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Please don't tell them which train I'm on So they won't know which route I've gone When I die just bury me deep Down at the foot of old Chestnut Street So I can hear old number nine As she goes roaring by Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Please don't tell them which train I'm on So they won't know which route I've gone When I'm dead and in my grave No more good times do I crave Place the tombstone at my head and my feet Tell my friends that I've gone to sleep Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Freight train, freight train goin' so fast Please don't tell them which train I'm on So they won't know which route I've gone
