A drunkard lay on the bar-room floor
he drunk till he could not drink no more
he went to sleep with a troubled brain
and dreamt he was on the Hellbound Train
The train, it flew at an awful pace
the brimstone a-burnin' both hands and face
and worse, and worse the road-bed grew
and faster, and faster the engine flew
He blowed the whistle and rung the bell
and the Devil says "Boys, the next stop is Hell!"
And all of the passengers yelled with 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 paid your fare with the rest of my load
and you 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 laid out gold till your purses bust
you ruined young gals with your beastly lust
You mocked at God in your stubborn pride
you murdered and killed, and cheated and lied
you 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 bar-room rung with an awful scream
as the drunkard awoke from his terrible dream
Down on his knees on the bar-room floor
he prayed as he never had prayed before
his prayers and vows, they were in vain
for his soul was doomed for the Hellbound Train
The Hellbound Train