Trains

Album: Famous Last Words (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Al Stewart was born in Glasgow, lived in England most of his early life, then immigrated to California, and like most internationally acclaimed musicians has traveled a great deal, including in trains. This song is part autobiographical, part historical and part allegorical. He contrasts his own boyhood experience of trains - riding them to boarding school - with the expansion of the railways and the role they played in two World Wars taking troops to the front or prisoners to the Nazi concentration camps in Poland. He returns to his own experience of riding the Amtrak from New York to Philadelphia in comfort but, while others watch the world go by, all he can think of is the past and the at times terrible human suffering that has been associated with trains. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander - London, England

Comments: 1

  • Bill from San Francisco, CaI listened to this song while sitting at the memorial in Auschwitz, in Poland. In front of me was the train line entering the compound, and on either side was the gasatoriums / crematoriums. It was a very powerful reminder of just how cruel humans have been to each other. Peace!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.