That's how they found him
He was howling at the moon
He's sitting right there on the railway tracks
And the train was coming

There was a string of wild flowers
Draped around his collar
And when he saw the men were coming for him
Well, he began to holler

He cried, "Take me away, take me away"
But the men could not be sure
If he was talking to them or talking to the oncoming train

Now his mama she watched religion on the TV
Each day from dawn to dusk
And at night when she'd hear him howling
Well, she'd cried to Jesus

For years she begged the Sweet Redeemer
To heal her crazy son
Until finally she just gave up on miracles
And called the men to come

She told them, "Take him away, take my son away
'Cause after 20 long years
I've simply run out prayers to pray"

But as he stood to fight the men
From the other side of the railway bed
He thought he heard the calling voice
Of an old friend he thought long dead

But when he turned away from the men
He found it was a stranger calling him
And as if he knew that man
He smiled and raised his hand

As he stepped into the golden sun
Of the headlight of the oncoming train
And as he did he locked eyes with that stranger
He cried out one last time
He cried, "Take me away, please, take me away"

And to this day in this little town
Not a soul knows what he was trying to say
All them years of shouting take me away
No, no one knows what he was trying to say
Or who that stranger was