Oh take me back to an age gone by
Where the whistle moaned and smoke filled the sky.
With an iron horse on an iron beam
Oh take me back to the age of steam.

With the smell of soft coal in the air
And cinders and soot flying everywhere.
The age in the yard when nothing was clean
Oh take me back to the age of steam.

The iron horse again I’d like to see
With that phantom inside, longing to be free.
To see him thunder in on a quiet scene
Oh take me back to the age of steam.

I’ve heard him groaning in the yard
When pulling the load was going hard.
I’ve heard the iron horse stamp his feet
Yet over the load he was master complete.

I’ve heard his whistle in the early morn’
As he thundered along through fields of corn.
I’ve seen him at the coal chute feed
And drink from the tower with amazing speed.

Oh take me where I’ll never hear
The diesel foghorn whistle blare.
Take me where there’s no kerosene.
Oh take me back to the age of steam.

But this is an era that’s passed me by.
I no longer see the smoke swirled sky.
Don’t feel his breath except in my dream.
Oh take me back to the age of steam.

“Come back!” I cry, but alas it’s for naught.
In a struggle with progress he has been caught.
And I say even though it’s a wishful scheme
Oh take me back to the age of steam.


Copyright 1970 Donald F. Stuckless