No one will admit to it, no one breathes a word
No one wants to talk about the strange things they have heard
But late at night in the Florida Keys when the wind is thick with rain
You may hear the high and lonesome wail of the ghosts of Flagler's train
October nineteen hundred six it was Henry Flagler's dream
To join Key West to the mainland with a link of steel and steam
He'd started tracks Southwest across saltwater, scrub, and sand
And men were pouring concrete on the Long Key Railroad span
But best laid plans are playthings to the gods of wind and rain
They sent Henry a message in a mighty hurricane
It blew a hundred thirty workers into their next lives
Separated linb from linmb and loving men from wives
No one will admit to it, no one's seen a thing
Cause they shut their eyes and hold their ears when the spirits start to sing
And late at night in the Florida Keys when the wind is thick with rain
You may hear the high and lonesome wail of the ghosts of Flagler's train
They found some of the bodies and continued laying track
The Overseas Railway soon would run to old Key West and back
Well, that is ancient history cars and trucks now link the Keys
But there's still a hint of mystery like a strange song in the breeze
So if you have to stop at night in the Keys near Flagler's line
You might feel some cold and creepy goosebumps dancing on your spine
Don't venture out of your motel room if the wind begins to howl
It just might be the sound of throatless voices on the prowl
No one will admit to it, no one will explain
That some phantom remnant haunts the site of that deadly hurricane
And late at night in the Florida Keys when the wind is thick with rain
You may hear the high and lonesome wail of the ghosts of Flagler's train
Copyright 2008 Malcolm McKinney