Five Hundred Miles
Hedy West
You Tube Video
Banjo tuned E, Capo 3, Key C
Transcribed by:  Verne Garrison


   C                         
If you miss the train I'm on,
     F                  C
You will know that I am gone,
                           D             C
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles.
                           F
A hundred miles, a hundred miles,
                            C
A hundred miles, A hundred miles,
                             D          C
You can hear the whistle blow A hundred miles.

If my honey said so,
I would railroad no more
I'd sidetrack my engine and go home
And go home, and go home
And go home, and go home
I'd sidetrack my engine and go home

Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two, Lord,
I'm three, Lord, I'm four, Lord,
I'm five hundred miles a way from home.
Away from home, away from home,
away from home, away from home,
Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home

Not a shirt on my back,
Not a penny to my name.
Lord, I can't go back home this-a way.
This-a way, this-a way,
This-a way, this-a way,
Lord, I can't go back home this-a way.

If you miss the train I'm on,
You will know that I am gone,
You can hear the whistle blow A hundred miles.
A hundred miles, A hundred miles,
A hundred miles, A hundred miles,
You can hear the whistle blow A hundred miles.

"500 Miles," is credited to Hedy West, Bobby Bare, and 

Charlie Williams. (From Stambler and Landon, "Encyclopedia of 

Folk, Country and Western Music." New York: St. Martin's 

Press, 1969.)