Song title: Downbound train
Downbound train
I had a job, I had a girl
I had something going mister in this world
I got laid off down at the lumber yard
Our love went bad, times got hard
Now I work down at the carwash
Where all it ever does is rain
Don’t you feel like you’re a rider on a downbound train
She just said “Joe I gotta go
We had it once we ain’t got it any more”
She packed her bags left me behind
She bought a ticket on the Central Line
Nights as I sleep, I hear that whistle whining
I feel her kiss in the misty rain
And I feel like I’m a rider on a downbound train
Last night I heard your voice
You were crying, crying, you were so alone
You said your love had never died
You were waiting for me at home
Put on my jacket, I ran through the woods
I ran till I thought my chest would explode
There in the clearing, beyond the highway
In the moonlight, our wedding house shone
I rushed through the yard, I burst through the front door
My head pounding hard, up the stairs I climbed
The room was dark, our bed was empty
Then I heard that long whistle whine
And I dropped to my knees, hung my head and cried
Now I swing a sledge hammer on a railroad gang
Knocking down them cross ties, working in the rain
Now don’t it feel like you’re a rider on a downbound train
Published on the following official releases:
- BORN IN THE USA (Album,1984)
First known live performance: 02/07/1984 Civic Center, Saint Paul,MN ,USA
Last known live performance: 16/02/2017 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane ,Australia
Song 'history':
Originally recorded acoustically for the NEBRASKA album, but then left out of the album
,to be inserted, two years later, in the well-known full band version, on BORN IN THE U.S.A.
A discrete number of performances (82) was given during the Born in the U.S.A. tour
Bruce inserted it 14 times in the setlists of the Tunnel of Love tour
15 perfomances were given during the Human Touch tour
Not much used during the Reunion tour, deserving only less than a dozen renderings
Scarcely used during the Rising tour, with 3 inclusions
During the Devils and Dust tour, the song was played 3 times
Played only a couple of times in the whole Magic tour (31/05/2008 Emirates Stadium, London ,GB and 29/06/2008 Parken, Copenhagen ,Denmark)
Just less than a dozen shots during the Working on a Dream tour
Bruce inserted it 21 times in the setlists of the Wrecking Ball tour
Just 5 shots during the High Hopes tour
Just less than a dozen shots during the 2016 The River tour
Performed 3 times during the 2017 Summer tour
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database