1954 train ride
We walked to star crossing to wait for the train, my mum, baby sister, and me
I held her hand and she, pushed the pram, and we counted the cars 1 2 3
we could hear the train whistle from Denbigh, as the engine came thundering through
and the signal man pulled on the levers, so the driver would know what to do
the engine rolled past the platform, and the carriages stopped where we stood
the guard put the pram in the guard van, then we sat down on benches of wood
there were slits in the floor, we could see the wheels. And the sleepers and tracks
the engine was hissing and panting while the people put luggage on racks
then the station man blew his whistle, and the engine groaned at the call
sssuffering sssteam pipes sssuffering tubes sssoo many people to haul
and the wheels on the track said where shall we go, where shall we go, where shall we go today
and the wind at the window said phwhooo I don't knowww, phwhooo I don't knowww, phwhooo, I couldn't say
and the engine said, shut up and listen, shut up and listen, shut up and listen to me
I should decide where we go, because I pull the train don't you see
and the track said, you don't decide you don't decide, you have to go where your told
and the whistle called out weee're heeere, weee're heeere, as the train was arriving at Mold
