A soldier rides on a train to Tennessee

And half asleep he dreams it isn't a dream

With each flick of the wheels a new face goes by

With each face he loves he turns and sighs



And he's headed home

Yes, yes, he's headed home

Tryin' to find his life again

'Cause he wonders what's become of him



Three rows back a young woman looks out the train

Her eyes reveal that her life is desperately plain

She's a woman who's seen this world and not touched one man

She knows she could if she would but she can't



And she's goin' home

Yes, yes, goin' home

Back where life begins and ends

And they feel that you belong to them



That train's just movin' on down the line

Leavin' people who ever did fall behind

And you wanna begin somewhere

But you'll always take a chance out there

So you go down the line

Down the line . . .



I sit half drunk in the dining car and I observe life

I got him pegged and I'm pretty sure I got her right

When you've been as far as I have you just know these things

That's the reason it's sad they drank those drinks



'Cause I got no home

No, no, I need no home

Nothing to bring pain again

It's great just livin' on the wind



But the woman is met by her husband there at the station

And two stops later the soldier's girl is still waitin'

I simply accept the fact they're just lucky, that's all

But the fact is I don't believe they pulled it off!



And I can't go on

No, no, I can't go on

Making everything I see

Fit the way life was for me



That train's just movin' on down the line

Leavin' people who ever did fall behind

And I wanna begin somewhere

But for me there's nothing true out there

So I go down the line

Down the line . . . go on down the line . . . go on down the line . . .