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about
Tom Peterson said "This is a song about my grandfather. You know, when he got old, they put him in this nuthouse down in Yankton. People get funny. But they never could keep him down there. He always seemed to wander off, call up from all all over the most unlikely places. You know I think he still owns the record for busting out of that joint. I'd like to think that when he'd get out there roaming around he'd think of his younger days when he was foot loose and fancy free. But eventually, he'd forget where he was. He'd always call my dad and tell him to pick him up. This songs kinda about what those conversations might have been like."
lyrics
My grandpa was a rounder
Back in his younger days
Till he started to go blind and loosing his mind
And they had to put him away.
The crazy folks prison in Yankton
Took him down there one spring
Just a few days later when we all set down to dinner
The telephone started to ring
He said "son, this is your old man
I guess I got sidetracked today
Some damned engineer half wet behind his ears
Took me way the hell out of my way
I'm calling you from St. Louie
On this long distance telephone
Son, how's about catchin' you a train here and fetchin'
Your old man home
Now my grandpa loved trains and horses
And he hated automobiles
He said "if God would have meant
For us to ride on cement
Hell, we'd all been born with rubber wheels"
But every few days he'd wander away
We'd worry and wait for his call
Just like fine old grandfather clock
The phone would ring on the wall
chorus
He said "son, this is your old man.
I guess I got sidetracked today.
Some damned engineer half wet behind his ears
Took me way the hell out of my way
I'm calling you up from Memphis
On this long distance telephone
Son, how's about catchin' a train here and fetchin'
Your old man home
Now, he used to follow the harvest
Travel from town to town
Till one day to his surprise
He caught grandmothers eyes
Finally settled him down
Now the windows of Yankton
They're covered with bars
Meant to keep you inside
But how the hell can you ever lock up a man
Who's got one more highball to ride
chorus
He said "son, this is your old man.
I guess I got sidetracked today.
Some damned engineer half wet behind his ears
Took me way the hell out of my way
I'm calling you from Atlanta
On this long distance telephone
Son, how's about catchin' a train here and fetchin'
Your old man home
Some folks die on the highway
Some folks die in their bed
My grandpa died in the nuthouse
But they never could lock up his head
He's been long gone and the railroad's passed on
Hell, he's been dead 35 years
But still to this day when we answer the phone
We're still half expecting to hear
chorus
Son, this is your old man
I guess I got sidetracked today.
Some damned engineer half wet behind his ears
Took me way the hell out of my way
I'm calling from Tierra Del Fuego
On this long distance telephone
Son, how's about catchin' a train here and fetchin'
Your old man home
Son, how's about catchin' you a train here and fetchin'
Your old man home.
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