she s a railroad lady just a little bit shady spending her life on them trains semi good looker but the fast rails they took er now she s tryin just tryin to get home again south station in boston to the freight yards of austin florida sunshine to the new orleans rain now that the rail packs have taken the best tracks she s tryin just tryin to get home again she s a railroad lady just a little bit shady spending her life on them trains semi good looker but the fast rails they took er now she s tryin just tryin to get home again now this here song was written on the final run of the panamerican from new orleans to nashville writing through the night was one jimmy buffett one jerry jeff walker and one bottle of wild turkey and we sat there singing a song about a young lady who was sidetracked in life cornered by the roundhouse by smooth talking switchmen and derailed by life she was giving it up because the beds were unsafe but now the rails are all rusty and the dining car s dusty the gold plated watches have taken their toll and the railroads are dying and the lady sits crying on a bus to kentucky now and a home that s her goal she s a railroad lady just a little bit shady spending her life on them trains once a pullman car traveler now the brakeman won t have her she s tryin just tryin to get home again she s a railroad lady just a little bit shady spending her life on them trains semi good looker but the fast rails they took er now she s tryin just tryin to get home again  on a bus to kentucky and home once again