Quiet Town

Oh yeah, oh no, the train, the train
Every two or three years, the train kills somebody
Every two or three years, yeah
Everybody knows about the train, okay?
You hear it constantly
Eh, I— I think the train is a way to find your way out of this life, if you get hit by it

A couple of kids got hit by a Union Pacific train
Carrying sheet metal and household appliances through the pouring rain
They were planning on getting married after graduation
Had a little baby girl, trouble came and shut it down
Things like that ain't supposed to happen

In this quiet town, families are tight
Good people, they still don't deadbolt their doors at night
In this quiet town

When we first heard opioid stories, they were always in whispering tones
Now banners of sorrow mark the front steps of childhood homes
Parents wept through daddy's girl eulogies
And merit badge milestones with their daughters and sons
Laying there lifeless in their suits and gowns
Somebody's been keepin' secrets

In this quiet town, they know how to live
Good people who lean on Jesus, they're quick to forgive
In this quiet town

Now whenever I'm near the town, I'll find some reason to give
And I will walk with the dead
and the living where I used to live
And every time I see my parents in the prime of their lives
Offering their son the kind of love he could never put down

Well, part of me is still that stainless kid, lucky

In this quiet town, salt of the land
Hard-working people, if you're in trouble, they'll lend you a hand

Here in this quiet town

The first crop of hay is up

School let out and the sun beats down
Smoke billows from a Sunday
train
That cries away from a quiet town