I used to be a railroad bum a living on the go
I rode freights from Canada down to Mexico
From sunny Cal to Minnesota where the rippling waters falls
I never seemed to have a dime but I had myself a ball

Singing hi lee, hi lo, hee li lee lie lo
I used to be a railroad bum
But I'm not anymore

I walked in the Silver Dollar in Reno one night
I dropped a quarter in a one-armed bandit, the lemons lined up right
Took my winnings, then played poker and I won ten thousand more!
I used to be a railroad bum
But I'm not anymore

Singing hi lee, hi lo, hee li lee lie lo
I used to be a railroad bum
But I'm not anymore

When cotton's white in Tennessee and shrimp boats sail in Maine
Peach picking time soon will find me ridin' a Georgia train
Cause I get restless when I'm still, I guess I always will
Want to keep traveling all my life over another hill

Singing hi lee, hi lo, hee li lee lie lo
I used to be a railroad bum
But I'm not anymore

Singing hi lee, hi lo, hee li lee lie lo
I used to be a railroad bum
But I'm not anymore