The Dream

Intro C F C G7 C F G7 C [Verso 1] C F My ears do ring and my heart does sing C G7 When a steam train whistle blows C F And anywhere that train is bound G7 C It's there I too would go C F I had a dream the other night C G7 Interrupted by this sound C F It was the whistle of a southbound freight G7 C Rolling through my old hometown C F I pinched myself, yeah, still alive C G7 And hearing what I heard C F There was one toot and then another G7 C And then, by gosh, a third C F They echoed through my mind C G7 Just like a childhood memory C F The dreamy call of an iron horse G7 C Was reaching out to me F I know I'm dreaming C G7 But could it really be? C F It started seeming C G7 C That train was there for me [Verso 2] C F That choo-choo chugged through a foggy mist C G7 And stopped right where I stood C F I'd hop inside that locomotive G7 C If I only could C F But this I knew was nothing more C G7 Than a wishful little dream C F That toot and choo-choo couldn't really G7 C Be what it had seemed C F But then, a dapper man walked up C G7 And tipped his hat to me C F Well, in my sleepy state, I wondered G7 C Who this man could be C F He said he came to give my dream C G7 A special nice reward C F And with a smile upon his face G7 C He bellowed, "All aboard!" F Was this for real C G7 Or just a fantasy? C F "Wow, what a deal!" G7 C I shouted out with glee [Verso 3] C F I climbed inside the cabin C G7 Took a look at all the stuff C F And then I felt that choo-choo train G7 C Begin to huff and puff C F Well, in my dream, a red bandana C G7 Fluttered from my neck C F And over my shoulder, there was a cord G7 C And I figured, "What the heck?" C F I wrapped my fingers 'round that cord C G7 And slowly pulled it down C F And as I did, I heard that G7 C Sweet and old familiar sound C F With that, the locomotive started C G7 Chugging down the rails C F I gave that cord another tug G7 C I listened to the wail F I made it whistle C G7 Yes, I'm an engineer C F Give it a listen C G7 C And tell me what you hear [Verso 4] C F The old conductor looked at me C G7 And tipped his hat once more C F He told me it was time to leave G7 C And he vanished in a roar C F Yes, dreams, alas, must always end C G7 For every girl and boy C F I was rustled from my slumber G7 C By a muffled rumbling noise C F I wiped the sleep dust from my eyes C G7 And listened closely to C F The clear refrain of a distant train G7 C And a plaintive "woo-woo-woo!" C F There's just one thing about that sound C G7 That made me think that day C F The closest railroad tracks to me G7 C Are many miles away F I got to fearing C G7 That this was still a dream C F What I was hearing G7 C Was not what it might seem [Verso 5] C F But soon, I heard another whistle G7 C Hooting in the night C F I went to my window and looked outside G7 C To see a wondrous sight C F Up in the dark but moonlit sky C G7 Beneath a thousand stars C F A big black locomotive pulled G7 C A hundred railroad cars C F White puffs of smoke rose from the stack C G7 And I can faintly see C F That old conductor looking down G7 C And he tipped his hat to me C F When in a wink, he vanished C G7 In a trail of shiny steam C F I rubbed my eyes and realized G7 C That this was not a dream F I made it whistle C G7 Yes, I'm an engineer C F Give it a listen C G7 C And tell me what you hear