"Kansas City's Callin'"
[Intro: solo harmonica instrumental]
[Verse 1]
I caught a westbound train from Memphis town
With a blade in my boot and my last buck down
The day’s dust on my overcoat and a song in my soul
Maybe if I ride these steel rails, I’ll make myself whole
[Chorus]
I’m rollin’ down the line to ole Kansas City
Kansas City where the nights are dark and gritty
Got a dream in my pocket and hope up my sleeve
Old Kansas City’s callin’ and I still can believe
[Verse 2]
Passed through the Ozarks and waved at the moon
Felt the rhythm of the tracks like an old barroom tune
Every mile’s a prayer every stop’s a test
But I’m chasing down work and I won’t rest
[Breakdown: saxophone and piano]
[Verse 3]
Shared some beans with a drifter named Clyde
He said son there’s gold where your spirit don’t hide
He told me to keep walkin’ don’t you settle for fear
Cause sometimes answers aren’t too far from here
[Bridge]
Smoke stacks rising like a call to the sky
With luck on the wind and a glint in my eye
I’ve been down before but I ain’t been beat
I’ve still got rhythm in these ole travelin’ feet
[Verse 4]
City lights shimmer through a smoky haze
And the rhythm of the rails still guides my days
I can taste the coffee and hear the band play
At a diner that waits near Union trainway
[Chorus]
I’m rollin’ down the line to ole Kansas City
Kansas City where the nights are dark and gritty
Got a dream in my pocket and hope up my sleeve
Old Kansas City’s callin’ and I still can believe
[Verse 5]
If the boss man’s hiring and the rent is really cheap
I’ll trade in these rails for a bed and much needed sleep
I might even find a new girl with a smile like my June
And we’ll both dance until dawn to a soul-band tune
[Final Chorus]
I’m rollin’ down the line to ole Kansas City
Kansas City where the nights are dark and gritty
Got a dream in my pocket and hope up my sleeve
Old Kansas City’s callin’ and I still can believe
[Outro: instrumental fade out]
[End]
