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The Ghost of Hobo Bill

from Oh My Stars by Charlie Roth

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about

Written by Charlie Roth

‘The Ghost of Hobo Bill’ came from hearing Townes Van Zant cover the Jimmy Rodgers classic song 'Hobo Bill's Last Ride' written in 1929. It was on a bootleg recording of him in 1973. I decided I needed to know that song so I learned it and then it dawned on me that I could write a sequel. It has the same chord progression as the classic song only moved from C major to A harmonic minor for the ghostly effect, Using the musical saw on the recording was Mike Harding's idea. Mike was the first DJ to play that song in the entire world. It is a fun song, a ghost story.

lyrics

The Ghost of Hobo Bill

Riding on a westbound freight train a specter of cold light
rises off the boxcar floor and wanders thru the night
It’s the ghostly form of Hobo Bill still smiling there inside
Yeah the cold would kill our boy bill but it wasn’t his last ride

The Ghost of Hobo Billy

He never has no mother’s mercy to sooth away his soul
He never had no home to call his own nowhere else to go
so he stayed to haunt that boxcar at night you could hear that little hobo moan
cuz hopping hot shot freight trains was all he’s ever known

The Ghost of Hobo Billy

They say that hobo bill will mysteriously fill
another hobo’s cup with booze
in his bindle he’ll put bullets and loaded dice
stuff a travelin’ man can use
but he’d bounce a railroad bull right off the train
as payback for being mean
by day he’d appear in his shaving mirror
and at night he’d haunt his dream

The Ghost of Hobo Billy

That boxcar is in a bone yard now from the old Meridian line
From outside I heard coughing and a yodelin tune from 1929
Two men were in there laughing and shooting dice I looked inside I was alone
And that boxcar was from the very same train that brought
the singing brakeman home

Along with Hobo Billy

credits

from Oh My Stars, released April 13, 2015
featuring The Pickup Cowboys

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Medicine Show Records Kent, Ohio

The Medicine Show is run by Scots Broadcaster Promoter Rob Ellen. He tends a tour of the Highlands for touring roots musicians. He helped found Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.
The Highland tour has become a pilgrimage with American Musicians in particular, wishing to trace the roots of the music.
Rob's particular interest, is supporting House Concerts. Rob maintains the Euro House Concert Hub
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