my mama was the cold north wind my daddy was the son of a railroad man from west of hell where the trains don t even run never heard the whistle of a southbound freight or the singin of it s drivin wheel no i never did no wanderin never did no wanderin never did no wanderin after all they say the highways just one big road and it goes from here to there and they say you carry a heavy load when you re rollin down the line somewhere never seen the dance of the telephone poles as they go whizzin by no i never did no wanderin never did no wanderin never did no wanderin after all never did no wanderin high never did no wanderin low now a sailor s life is a life for him but it never was for me and i never soared where the hawk may soar or see what the hawk might see never hiked to heaven on a mountain trail never rode on a river s rage no i never did no wanderin never did no wanderin never did no wanderin after all never did no wanderin never did no wanderin never did no wanderin after all never did no wanderin after all