Songs used in writing My Last Breath (but abandoned for Sunless) For an explanation see the essay at https://peromyscus.blogspot.com/2023/05/writing-and-publishing-sf-short-story.html
From Cowboy Songs, collected by Alan Lomax.
You can watch versions of it on YouTube here and here (among many other places).
A Texas cowboy lay down on a bar-room floor.
Having drunk so much he could drink no more;
So he fell asleep with a troubled brain
To dream that he rode on a hell-bound train.
The engine with murderous blood was damp
And was brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp;
An imp, for fuel, was shoveling bones,
While the furnace rang with a thousand groans.
The boiler was filled with lager beer
And the devil himself was the engineer;
The passengers were a most motley crew,—
Church member, atheist, Gentile, and Jew,
Rich men in broadcloth, beggars in rags,
Handsome young ladies, and withered old hags,
Yellow and black men, red, brown, and white.
All chained together,—O God, what a sight!
While the train rushed on at an awful pace,
The sulphurous fumes scorched their hands and face;
Wider and wider the country grew,
As faster and faster the engine flew.
Louder and louder the thunder crashed
And brighter and brighter the lightning flashed;
Hotter and hotter the air became
Till the clothes were burnt from each quivering frame.
And out of the distance there arose a yell,
"Ha, ha," said the devil, "we're nearing hell!"
Then oh, how the passengers all shrieked with pain
And begged the devil to stop the train.
But he capered about and danced for glee
And laughed and joked at their misery.
"My faithful friends, you have done the work
And the devil never can a payday shirk.
"You've bullied the weak, you've robbed the poor;
The starving brother you've turned from the door,
You've laid up gold where the canker rust,
And have given free vent to your beastly lust.
"You've justice scorned, and corruption sown,
And trampled the laws of nature down.
You have drunk, rioted, cheated, plundered, and lied,
And mocked at God in your hell-born pride.
"You have paid full fare so I'll carry you through;
For it's only right you should have your due.
Why, the laborer always expects his hire,
So I'll land you safe in the lake of fire.
"Where your flesh will waste in the flames that roar,
And my imps torment you forever more."
Then the cowboy awoke with an anguished cry,
His clothes wet with sweat and his hair standing high.
Then he prayed as he never had prayed till that hour
To be saved from his sin and the demon's power.
And his prayers and his vows were not in vain;
For he never rode the hell-bound train.
Chuck Berry's Downbound Train.
The lyrics were copied from a song lyrics site, here for ease of linking. No copyright infringement intended. You can watch a performance on YouTube here.
There's a version by George Thorogood here.
A stranger lying on a bar room floor
Had drank so much he could drink no more
So he fell asleep with a troubled brain
To dream that he rode on that downbound train
The engine with blood was sweaty and damp
And brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp
And imps for fuel was shoveling bones
While the furnace rang with a thousand groans
The boiler was filled with lager beer
The devil himself was the engineer
The passengers were most a motley crew
Some were foreigners and others he knew
Rich men in broadcloth, beggars in rags
Handsome young ladies and wicked old hags
As the train rushed on at a terrible pace
Sulphuric fumes scorched their hands and face
Wider and wider the country grew
Faster and faster the engine flew
Louder and louder the thunder crashed
Brighter and brighter the lightning flashed
Hotter and hotter the air became
Till their clothes were burned and they were screaming with pain
Then out of the distance, there came a yell
"Ha ha", said the devil, "We're nearing home"
Oh how the passengers shrieked with pain
And begged old Satan to stop that train
The stranger awoke with an anguished cry
His clothes wet with sweat and his hair standing high
He fell on his knees on the barroom floor
And prayed a prayer like never before
And the prayers and vows were not in vain
For he never rode that downbound train
Lyrics copied from a lyrics site for ease of linking. No copyright infringement intended.
Well I wish I was a catfish,
Swimming in, lord, the deep blue sea.
I'd have a, all you pretty women,
fishin' after me, fishin' after me,
fishin' after me. Yeah.
Ohh yeah, ohh yeah, ohh yeah, ohh yeah.
When I went down, my girlfriends house.
And I sat down, lord, on her front step.
And she said a, come in now Jimi.
My husband just now left, just now left.
Ohh yeah, ohh yeah, ohh yeah, ohh yeah.
Well there's two, two trains runnin',
but there's not one, lord, that's goin' my way.
You know there's a one train runnin' at midnight.
Other one leave just for a day,
leave just for a day.
Ohh yeah, ohh yeah, ohh yeah, ohh yeah.
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