The air is gettin hotter, theres a rumblin in the skies.
Ive been wadin through the high muddy waters,
But the heat riseth in my eyes.
Everyday your memory goes dimmer,
It doesnt haunt me like it did before.
Ive been walkin through the middle of nowhere,
Tryin to get to heaven before they close the door.

When I was in missouri, they would not let me be.
I had to leave there in a hurry, I only saw what they let me see.
You broke a heart that loved you,
Now you can seal up the book and not write anymore.
Ive been walkin that lonesome valley,
Tryin to get to heaven before they close the door.

People on the platforms, waitin for the trains.
I can hear their hearts a-beatin, like pendulum swingin on chains.
When you think that youve lost everything,
You find out you can always lose a little more.
Im just going down the road feelin bad,
Tryin to get to heaven before they close the door.

...

Im goin down the river, down to new orleans.
They tell me everything is gonna be all right,
But I dont know what all right even means.
I was ridin in a buggy with miss mary jane,
Miss mary jane got a house in baltimore.
Ive been all around the world boys,
Im tryin to get to heaven before they close the door.

Gotta sleep down in the parlor, and relive my dreams.
I close my eyes and I wonder, if everything is as hollow as it seems.
Some trains dont pull no gamblers,
No midnight/midlife? ramblers like they did before.
Ive been to sugartown, I shook the sugar down,
Now Im tryin to get to heaven before they close the door.