Hoboism (1976)
Bat Chain Puller (2012 release)
Well it’s not that
‘n its not this ‘n its hobo
not zen, zright now , hoboism
yeah its not jazz n its not jizzum
not that n its not this
n its pure and simple railroadism
railroadism
Grab a book take a look
Put it in your pocket in case she look
stop, reach, short smoke
grab on n haul the wood rope
Got a chauffer way up front
He’s free he melts the night for me
put the thing next to me
Give me a drink man
well I fell asleep
n when I land, well the chill is breezing (or breezy?)
Well I haven’t been eating
it’s not that n its not this
n its not this n its not that
n its hoboism
Yeah man just swallow your labels old man
n grab this rhythm
Got a cow catcher man
n I’m gonna grab her
Heave ho horning morning
Back up in border
Well I rode n I rode n I rode n I rode that train free
Engineer’s got his Mars ( or Ma’s?) light connected with the moon
Well the rail (drop? drive?) mountain
going back from me
going back from me
I don’t know where I’m going but it’s totally free
Yeah n its uh not that n its not this
n its hoboism yeah
Well there’s people all getting in deep
Gotta get out and make my railroad creep
Well a Y up the hill of ladders
You can climb all you like then
Got my free drivin’ chauffer
don’t cost me a darn thing
Well the chill is breezing (bleeding?)
and uh, uh the night
cold beans taste like steaks to me
If I had a pocket
then wouldn’t you think I’d have a pocket knife
but I left it in my long time wife
That’s why I’m riding the rails all day and night
I know every star but I don’t know the night
Well I told the world to go fly a kite
???? …. grab a short smoke
Throw your legs over n grab a wooden rope
Not that n its not this
n its hoboism
not that n not this
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
its railroadism
yeah railroadism
Railroadism
Not that n its not this n
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
its just pure and simple railroadism
???? stop, stoop, grab a short smoke
Throw your leg over n grab the wooden rope
not that n its not this n
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
its just that pure and simple railroadism
Well I got a young train drivin’ chauffeur man
Got his Mars ( or Ma’s?) light connected to the moon
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
not that n its not this
just that old simple railroadism
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
n it’s not that n its not this
railroadism
Throw your leg over baby n uh get this here rhythm
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
it’s not not
just that railroadism
Throw your leg over baby n hold the wooden rope
not jazz n it’s not jizzum
not that n its not this n
just simple railroad rhythm
just old railroad rhythm
railroad rhythm
Those beans, those beans taste like steaks to me
Song info
An improvised ‘hobo / train’ blues recorded quickly by Don accompanied by Denny Walley on guitar. There were plans for this to be released as a single on No. 6 Records with China Pig (probably a live version) on the flip side but nothing came of it.
It was played on a US radio station back in 1992 as part of a birthday tribute show along with the ‘wiper blades at the rail crossing’ recording by Don that inspired the drum rhythm for Bat Chain Puller.
Hoboism has been around on bootleg albums for years until it was finally released as a bonus track on Bat Chain Puller in 2012. Check out the story of the two recorded versions of the song.
The related song, Railroadism, was only performed live, although we’re unsure how many times. Luckily, one (possibly the only) performance was recorded at the Red Creek in Rochester on 3 November 1977. It was included on the not quite official compilation album Railroadism. At the end of the song Don says “you gotta hear the new album … you just heard the new album”. So I wonder if he had plans for the song to be included on the next album (Shiny Beast) … and why wasn’t it?