Everyone has a train story…here’s Mark’s…

“That train track running behind the house, it goes all the way into Richmond. One day, a couple of summers ago, I jumped it, and rode up in the coal car. I was goin’ into Richmond, but it took a long time, and kept stopping. Then it went through this prison, with guard towers and all and I thought, `Man, they’re gonna see me on this train and think I’m a convict trying to escape. They’ll shoot me!’ I was terrified. I made it through the prison and into Richmond. But the train didn’t stop. It just kept goin’. I had to jump off, and I busted my ass. I was totally black, covered in coal dust. I jumped off in a train yard, and I had to jump between trains to get to the street. I jumped through and I was standing right next to the train-yard guy. It was a strange moment. We looked at each other and nobody said a word. And I just kept goin’. I jumped over one train that had all these amphibious tank vehicles I’d never seen before and have never seen since. I think it was during the Persian Gulf thing. I got out onto the street and walked up to where House Of Freaks practice, to use the telephone. I walked by a car with two people in it. And I sort of averted my eyes, ’cause I thought maybe they were makin’ out. Next day, I found out it was two people shot in the head. And that’s my train story.”

Mark Linkous (Puncture Magazine, 1996)

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