G
The house burned down on a stormy night
           Bm
and they never did find out why.
        C
I just stood alone beneath the silver maple
           Am                  G
Trying to keep my cigarettes dry.

[Verse 2]
G
Waiting for the firemen,
   Bm
I couldn't save a thing,
           C
And deep inside my home above the roar of the flame
    Am                          G
I swore I heard the telephone ring.

[Verse 3]
     G
The rain let up and we worked till dawn,
     Bm
just me and the firemen,
              C
And when they cut the power and the lines went dead,
   Am               G
I never got called again.

[Chorus 1]
    Em                     Bm
The house was gone by the break of dawn,
    C
the air was cold and grey.
        G                 Bm
I just set off down the road alone,
         Am     C         G   C/G  G   C/G  G
but it's always gone that way.

[Verse 4]
G
So young, so long ago
   Bm
I thought I heard that train,
C
Calling out my name,
            Am               G
At least it sounded like my name.

[Verse 5]
       G
Just a boy with no direction,
  Bm
I left my home behind,
        C
And the sky changed color
       Am                 G
once I crossed that town line.

[Verse 6]
   G
My good friends did the best they could
   Bm
to hold me down with them,
      C
But I took one look, and I packed my bags
      Am                 G
and I slipped around the bend.

[Chorus 2]
    Em                Bm
The lessons came from left and right,
    C
the first night out I found,
    G                   Bm
The laws were not meant to protect
    Am       C      G   G/C  G   G/C   G
the man from out of town.

[Verse 7]
G
There was a cold street on the sea coast,
  Bm
I once tried to call home.
          C
Where the church  steeples rose up
          Am               G
above the town like broken bones.

[Verse 8]
G
Drinking whiskey with the catholic priest
    Bm
one night in the recotory hall,
        C
He just shook his head and said
           Am              G
"You never know when Jesus calls."

[Chorus 3]
         Em                   Bm        
Then his eyes got wide and he looked around
       C
but he just could not explain.
               G                  Bm
It was like he heard the sound of Jesus laugh
    Am     C         G       C/G  G   C/G  G
the way I heard that train.

[Verse 9]
G
Now the years and the faces blur,
        Bm
still I can remember some.
           C
There were women washing windows,
           Am                 G
there were salesgirls chewing gum.

[Verse 10]
G
There were curses in the shapes of old men,
Bm
kneeling in the pews.
          C
There are things in this life
      Am                   G
a man just does not get to choose.

[Verse 11]
G
So, finally I found a home
     Bm
in a tiny mountain town,
       C
Just a simple place to keep me dry
         Am                G
when the rain came pouring down.

[Chorus 4]
   Em                 Bm        
A place to sleep, the rent was cheap,
      C
brick walls and a new slate roof.
    G                     Bm
The landlord said "You'll be safe here.
     C        Am    G
This house is fireproof."