Cliff Jinks "Waiting For A Train" and "50 Years Ago Today" (1988)

Great Uncle Cliff Jinks (1914 - 1993) on guitar and singing the classic Jimmie Rodgers song "Waiting For A Train", as well as a song Cliff wrote entitled, "50 Years Ago Today". This was filmed by my Grandfather Don Paxton on May 1, 1988, out at Cliff and Helen's Kindle Road farm near Jacksontown, Ohio. The occasion was Cliff and Helen's 50th Wedding Anniversary, and Cliff wrote "50 Years Ago Today" to celebrate. At the beginning of this clip, Cliff mentions Bill, which probably was in reference to my Grandpa Paxton's brother Bill. "Waiting For A Train" was one of Cliff's favorite songs, and it was kind of like his theme song in some ways. For more information about Cliff and his music, check out the following link: http://www.angelfire.com/oh5/southeastohio/cliffjinks3.html

Cliff worked on the B&O railroad as a brakeman, and he helped get my grandfather hired on the railroad as a brakeman in 1950. Both Cliff and my grandfather later became conductors on that railroad line, which operated out of Newark Station in Newark, Ohio. Cliff also owned the farm where the Buckeye Lake Concerts were held. When it first started, Cliff called it the Legend Valley Park. It was originally a country music venue, and he met many professional musicians like Willie Nelson. Later, he allowed rock concerts, and groups like the Grateful Dead performed there. The music park was successful in its day, and many people in Ohio during the 1970s can remember seeing a number of different performances. Cliff loved music, and he wrote some songs about the railroad too, such as "The B&O Vets", and his friend Herbie Tipton wrote some poems which Cliff made into songs. Cliff lived a good life surrounded by the family he loved and the music he loved, and though he is gone he is not forgotten.

"Waiting For A Train" (Jimmie Rodgers, 1928)

All around the water tank
Waiting for a train
A thousand miles away from home
Sleeping in the rain
I walked up to a brakeman
Just to give him a line of talk
He says if you got money, sir
I'll see that you don't walk
But I haven't got a nickle
Not a penny can I show
Get off, get off, you railroad bum
Then he slammed the boxcar door

Yodel lay hee oh, de lay hee hay, de lay hee

Well, he put me off in Texas
A place I dearly love
The wide open spaces all around me
and the moon and the stars up above
nobody seems to want me
Or lend me a helping hand
I'm on my way from 'Frisco
I'm going back to Dixieland
Though my pocket book is empty
And my heart is full of pain
I'm a thousand miles away from home
Just a waiting for a train

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cliff
• Jinks
• Don
• Paxton
• music
• guitar
• sing
• country
• song
• Ohio
• Railroad
• Men
• 1988

[jimlawver]

Love the jimmie rodgers song and it only gets better with his original thanks enjoyed it.