Five Hundred Miles

[burnabyguitar]

Five Hundred Miles


"500 Miles" (also known as "500 Miles Away from Home" or "Railroaders' Lament") is a song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveler who is far from home, out of money and too ashamed to return.

The song is generally credited as being written by Hedy West (1938 - 2005) who was an American folksinger and songwriter, and a 1961 copyright is held by Atzal Music, Inc, but there are arguments on the composer, including the song may be related to the older folk song "900 Miles", which may itself have origins in the southern American fiddle tunes "Reuben's Train" and "Train 45".

Lyrics
If you missed the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
A hundred miles, a hundred miles
A hundred miles, a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two
Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four
Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home
Away from home, away from home
Away from home, away from home
Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home
Not a shirt on my back
Not a penny to my name
Lord, I can't go back home this ole way
This ole way, this ole way
This ole way, this ole way
Lord, I can't go back home this this ole way
If you missed the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
A hundred miles, a hundred miles
A hundred miles, a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

https://youtu.be/tBljuc380Vo

[Glennwillow]

Interesting to hear this old folk song played so well on a classical guitar, Ming! Great job on this!

- Glenn

[burnabyguitar]

thanks Glenn, that's classic

[rémy64]

Excellent, very nice sound