Strong bass and drums start slow and methodically then progress and crescendo up to match the driving guitar and tempo climax that emerges to hammer down hard and fit the desperate warning found in the message of the beggar's tale. Play it Loud!
Stranger things than you could imagine
Came my way one day I happened
Across a beggar, old and haggard
I felt his hunger and I asked him
"Would you buy a meal if I give you money?"
He smiled and said "just share some bread and water with me"
Something about this beggar drew me in
I sat down on the ground nextr to him
I offered him my bottle of water
And excused my lack of bread to offer
The begger seemed grateful to take a sip
He lifted the bottle to wet his parched lips
Then he glanced at my large backpack
Sitting to the side of his small knapsack
And asked why I carry such a heavy load
if I tired as I walked along the road
I explained to him I walked little and traveled fast
On the rails much quicker the distance passed
The beggar grinned and a glimmer lit his eyes
He leaned close and said "Son, I won't lie
I too have traveled far and wide
Liverpool to Manchester, across the great divide
I've seen steamrollers expand the maps
like a spider web she weaves her tracks"
I laughed and said "I guess you're like me
just want to see all there is to see"
Again I caught a glimmer in his eyes
But this time I felt his years had made him wise
The beggar took my hand and I
watched him trace the lines in my palms then sigh
Then he reached and touched above my brow and I
Felt him trace a wrinkle there above my eyes
Then the beggar sat back and he described
In surprising detail my short lived life
I asked the beggar "Sir if you don't mind
your words are true, would you be so kind
to explain how you can read the lines?"
The beggar spoke my name and replied
"Perhaps you and I are somewhat alike
for we both are free to see the light
But in another place and time
I was locked up guilty of no crime
I soon forgot the day from night
deprived of friends and warmth and light
I lost track of things like space and time
while dwelling in that hell of mine
When I was spit back into life
they gave me money to make things right.
Now understand I had changed inside
My only friends dwelled inside my mind
That first cold night out of my hell
changed my life, if you care than I'll tell
the story of the crazy train
and was that Baby Long, or was that it's name
So I was cold and I was free
and I hid away among some trees
The friends in my head said "burn the money"
which I did, and it burned warm but it burned quickly
But as it burned I fell asleep
then was woken by a steam whistle shriek
My eyes wide open saw a scene
Far beyond my wildest dreams
I saw men the likes of kings
using their iron grip for building things
Each King had power through his crown
And forced his will by hammering down
And crushing men into stone
Dividing the pieces by their color tone
Then with these stones each king would build
His wealth, his fortress, for his shield
Each King though different was alike
They shared one mind and they shared their eyes
Then the beggar changed his tone of voice
and told me I could make a choice
simply listen to the rest of his dream
or dream it for myself and understand what it means
Intrigued I asked him how I might
Dream it myself that very night
The beggar grinned and he told
of a place where among the trees and cold
I should burn all the money with me
warm my hands and fall asleep
I bid the beggar well, then left and found
among some trees that cold piece of ground
I burned my money as had been told
and warmed my hands there in the frigid cold
I soon awoke in the very scene
described by the beggar in his dream
I saw that kingdoms prepare the way
for a train that stopped nor night or day
Slave labor was used to build the tracks
iron chains and whips broke men and backs
uprooting treasures, tribes and trees
confusing knowledge, killers, kings
I wondered how and I wondered why
such evil grew and multiplied
Then I looked before and looked beyond
the kings and slaves, the free and bond
I saw long train, seven red engines pulled
with 10 whistles the train's engineer controlled
dressed in red, purple, fine stones pearls and gold
together the engineer ten whistles blowed
And I saw great numbers boarding this train
their boarding pass stamped with the trains name
on their backs all they treasures aboard they carried
all they had gained for all they had tarried
Though heavy her load ahead the train forged
robbing of the land all the things taken aboard
When passing through kingdoms, the engineer paid kings duty
She paid them richly from the trains treasure booty
My heart was pained with what I'd seen
the destruction of earth and man by kings
I found myself down on my knees
crying out "Please change these things"
Then the beggar appeared within my dream
and said "Son, things aren't always as they seem"
He said free will is God's great gift
Then he pointed yonder to a sheer faced cliff
I saw the train had a single path
straight off the ledge into God's wrath
Beside the cliff sat a narrow foot bridge
that crossed the pit below up to a high mountain ridge
I saw the beggar by foot arrive
following a path through the trees and countryside
Out of kingdoms reach and rule he had found
his way unto the higher ground
then the beggar with love in his eyes
said "walk the path, and to carry bread and water is wise"
I woke up alone unsure what to think
But my mouth did thirst to find a drink
With no money to quickly wet my lips
I was like the beggar free of the worlds whips