Those Poor Bastards – The Hellbound Train lyrics

A drunkard lay on the barroom floor
He drunk 'til he could not drink no more
He went to sleep with a troubled brain
And dreamt he was on
The Hellbound Train

The train if flew at an awful pace
The brimstone a-burning both hands and face
And worse and worse the roadbed grew
And faster and faster the engine flew

He blowed the whistle and rung the bell
And the Devil said
"Boys the next stop is Hell!"
And all the passengers yelled in pain
And begged the Devil to stop the train

But the Devil laughed at their misery
He hollered and roared and yelled with glee
"You've paid your fare with the rest of my load
And you've got to ride to the end of the road"

"You robbed the weak and done wrong to the poor
Turned hungry folks away from your door
You've laid up gold 'til your purses bust
And ruined young gals with your beastly lust"

"You've mocked at God in your stubborn pride
You've murdered and killed and cheated and lied
You've double crossed partners and cussed and stole
You belong to me both body and soul"

"Your bones will burn in the flames that roar
You'll scorch and sizzle from rind to core"
Then the barroom rang with an awful scream
As the drunkard awoke from his terrible dream

Down on his knees on the barroom floor
He prayed as he never had prayed before
His prayers and vows they were in vain
For his soul was doomed to the Hellbound Train