March 30, 2003 - Sunday
I don't really know how long it has been, but I'd say that, with very few exceptions, I have sang the "Freight Train" song (formally, "Great Big Rollin' Railroad," an erstwhile marketing jingle for the Union Pacific: play MP3 file, lyrics below) at bedtime at Harry's request every night for several weeks and probably more than two or three months. I don't particularly mind singing the same song so many times as much as I might have thought I would, and maybe that suggests it's not a bad song. It's catchy, but not too obvious.

Still, amongst all that repetition, Harry's bedtime routine has also evolve a little in that sometimes the "Freight Train" song is the only song I sing. "That's enough songs," Harry says. Sometimes I sing that and "King of the Road" and that will be enough for Harry. That's quite different from the days of finding reasons to have me stay longer.


We're a great big rol-lin' railroad, one that ev'-ry-body knows.
We were born of gold and sil-ver spikes a hun-dred year a-go.
We're a mil-lion miles of his-to-ry a shin-in' in the sun.
We're the Un-ion Pacific and our sto-ry's just begun.
From the great plains of Ne-bras-ka to the Cal-i-fornia seas,
From the sum-mits of the Rock-ies to the might-y red-wood trees,
We're a thou-sand wheels of freight train hear the die-sel en-gine's power.
We're the Un-ion Pa-ci-fic do-in nine-ty miles an hour.

Bound from Om-a-ha to Portland thru Chey-enne and Lar-a-mie.
We're a headin' west for Boi-se on the main-line to the sea.
'Cross the flats at Salt Lake City on to Veg-as and L.A.
We're the Un-ion Pa-ci-fic and we've got the right-of-way.
From the green fields of the prai-ries to the blue Pa-ci-fic shores.
We de-liv-er your great car-go and come rol-lin' home for more.
On the back-bone of our na-tion you can see us make the climb.
We're the Un-ion Pa-ci-fic and we-re gon-na be on time.


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