Steel Rails
beginner
Steel Rails
The Grass app includes adjustable backing tracks with bass, guitar, and mandolin — a built-in chromatic tuner — a metronome with count-in — chord charts in any key — lyrics with chorus highlighting — demo videos — jam-along practice recordings — shareable setlists — and a finder for 700+ bluegrass jam circles near you. Free on iOS and Android.
Jam Along
Chord Chart
Verse/Chorus
DD
DD
EmEm
EmEm
GG
AA
GG
DD
DD
Chords used:
A
D
Em
G
Lyrics
Steel rails chasing sunshine around the bend
Winding through the trees like a ribbon in the wind
I don't mind not knowing what lies down the track
Cause I'm looking out ahead to keep my mind from turning back
It's not the first time I found myself alone at dawn
If I really had you once then I have you when I'm gone
Whistle blowing, blowing lonesome in my mind
Calling me along the never ending meadow vine
Sun is shining through the open boxcar door
Lying in my mind with the things I've known before
I've lost count of the hours days and nights
The rhythm of the rails keep the motion in my mindDemo Videos
About This Song
Steel Rails is a poignant railroad song written by Louisa Branscomb that's become a bluegrass standard. Alison Krauss's rendition brought it wider recognition, though it's been covered by countless artists in the bluegrass community for its evocative lyrics about riding the rails.
