Signal Green at the Crossing

[Кіріспе] [Instrumental: octave-doubled lead riff alone, faint bass shadow; rhythm guitar and bass enter, then drums lock in] [Куплет 1] Rain on the panel, red lamp won’t clear Gate arm frozen where the tracks run near I pull the cover, trace the wet line One loose contact, one more climb Dispatch says, “express is ten miles out” I check the relay, check it out That barrier stays down, the signal stays red I’m racing the clock with the tools in my head [Қайырма] Raise that gate, let the evening train through I’m here at the crossing, i’m seeing it through Raise that gate, let the last wheels roll One clear signal, one safe crossing home [Куплет 2] Mud on my boots, cold water in my sleeve I find the fault where the cables meet A split in the sleeve, a pin gone black I strip it clean, i make the contact back Dispatch reads the milepost, counts it down “Four miles out, then two, then one” I test the motor, hear it catch and turn The gate lifts slow; the red lamps burn [Қайырма] Raise that gate, let the evening train through I’m here at the crossing, i’m seeing it through Raise that gate, let the last wheels roll One clear signal, one safe crossing home [Guitar solo] [Instrumental: octave-doubled melodic lead guitar solo] [Көпір] The dispatcher says, “it’s close now” I watch the arm rise, steady and slow The first bright headlamp cuts the rain I step back clear as it passes the lane [Қайырма] Raise that gate, let the evening train through I’m here at the crossing, i’m seeing it through Raise that gate, let the last wheels roll One clear signal, one safe crossing home [Аутро] Gate up, signal green The express is gone Rain on the panel Work’s not done