Verse 1
Sister said she caught the signal, one long whistle in the dark
Cinder dust on her shoulder where she rode the rail
She said the train was painted golden from the sun that set
I told her I believed it when I saw her walking down the track
Tote bag slung over her shoulder, like it weighed a stone
Folding map inside, of roads she'd never seen before
She took a bus last week
Pre-Chorus
You're going somewhere
Where the streets are quieter than they used to be
And maybe someone's waiting for you
Who's been holding on this long, just like me
What are you searching for?
In the place you go to hide
The gold of morning coming through your windowpane
Tell me what you found
Chorus
Riding on the gold train
You don't come back here no more
Carrying something in your pocket
Something I'll never know
I'm staying right behind the stove
Burning what's left to burn
Riding on the gold train
Where does the track end?
Sister gone, sister free
No way of knowing who she meets
Verse 2
Station master said it was a one-way ride
She asked him how many times he'd ever seen that line
He looked at her with a sadness in his eyes
Like he wished for every road to bend and change
Then handed her a ticket, torn in half along the fold
Said 'Don't look back' like a warning or an oath
I kept the water boiling on the stove
Watching shadows creep across the wall
The clock keeps ticking, counting out the hours
Counting how long till you're gone for good at all
Pre-Chorus
You're going somewhere
Where the streets are quieter than they used to be
And maybe someone's waiting for you
Who's been holding on this long, just like me
What are you searching for?
In the place you go to hide
The gold of morning coming through your windowpane
Tell me what you found
Chorus
Riding on the gold train
You don't come back here no more
Carrying something in your pocket
Something I'll never know
I'm staying right behind the stove
Burning what's left to burn
Riding on the gold train
Where does the track end?
Sister gone, sister free
No way of knowing who she meets
Bridge
Maybe you're flying over mountains now
Or maybe you've already turned around
Maybe every path I take
Just keeps me closer to this town
You said it's a long time till we see each other again
But the wind remembers the names
I wish I'd asked for one more hug before the door
Now it's just a sound that floats across the yard
The whistle you left behind
Outro
Sister gone, sister free
No way of knowing who she meets
