38 Planes
'Come From Away' Company Lyrics
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Where am I gonna park this thing?
There are planes lined up like sardines
And as far as I can see, there's cars lined up too
It looks like everybody in Newfoundland is here
(One plane, then another, and then another, and then another)
Is this on?
This is Roger's TV channel nine (then another, and then another)
My name's Jeanna Smother and I′m reporting live from Gander Airport
Where the nineteenth plane has just touched down
I′m here with Bonnie Harris
On a normal day, we get a half dozen of flights, now
We already got three times that many landing in two hours
That's a lot of noise
You can smell the fuel
You can smell the exhaust
Jesus, that′s a jumbo
There's gotta be 250 or 300 out there
That′s a fairly large one, there's gotta be two hundred on her
And now I′m adding this up
We got 38 planes
We got two, three hundred people on the average
Holy shit
The song "38 Planes" in the Broadway musical Come From Away, tells the story of the unprecedented influx of 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers that were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after the airspace was shut down due to the 9/11 attacks. The lyrics of the song reveal the overwhelming magnitude of the situation that the town found itself in, with planes and cars lined up as far as the eye could see. The first verse shows the pilot landing the plane and contemplating where to park it. The pilot sees that there are planes lined up like sardines and cars lined up along the runways. The singer is awe-struck to see this many planes in Newfoundland and exclaims “everyone is here!”.
The second verse is a news broadcast, where a newscaster is reporting from Gander Airport. The newscaster Bonnie Harris shares that the airport usually only has a half a dozen flights a day. But since the tragedy of 9/11, every plane that was on route to the US became stranded, including 38 planes that all had to land at Gander airport. Jeanna Smother, another newscaster, arrives a little late and begins by saying “Is this on?” showing that the town was not at all prepared for this volume of flights. Jeanna Smother reports that they just received their nineteenth plane to land, and the number still seemed staggering. The women speak of the noise, the smell of fuel, and the overwhelming number of people they would have to accommodate. By the end of the song, the newscasters begin to realize that each plane had, on average, two or three hundred people onboard, showing the jaw-dropping extent of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
On final approach, we’re coming in runway two-two and I think
As we approach the airport, I'm wondering where we'll park given the overcrowding at Gander Airport.
Where am I gonna park this thing?
I'm wondering where I'll be able to park the plane given the crowded runway and planes lined up like sardines.
There are planes lined up like sardines
The planes on the runway are so tightly packed together, it feels like they're lined up like sardines.
And as far as I can see, there's cars lined up too
Not only are there many planes on this runway, but there's also an unexpectedly large number of cars around the airport as well.
It looks like everybody in Newfoundland is here
From the number of planes and people that have descended on Gander Airport, it feels like every single person in Newfoundland is present.
This is Roger's TV channel nine (then another, and then another)
As reporters begin to arrive in the parking area, announcements are being made on the local channel reporting the news.
My name's Jeanna Smother and I'm reporting live from Gander Airport
Jeanna Smother introduces herself as a reporter for live reporting on the chaos at Gander Airport.
Where the nineteenth plane has just touched down
Jeanna is reporting that the nineteenth plane has just landed at the overcrowded airport.
I'm here with Bonnie Harris
Jeanna continues to report, this time with Bonnie Harris by her side.
On a normal day, we get a half dozen of flights, now
On usual days, the airport receives only six flights at most, but this is not an ordinary day.
We already got three times that many landing in two hours
In just two hours, the number of planes that have landed has already exceeded what the airport normally receives in a day.
That's a lot of noise
The sound of planes arriving one after the other, on top of the planes already present at the airport, makes it extremely noisy.
You can smell the fuel
With so many planes packed in, the smell of fuel from the engines gets overwhelming.
You can smell the exhaust
The exhaust fumes from all the planes are getting overwhelming, and the air around the airport doesn't feel healthy to breathe in.
Jesus, that's a jumbo
As one particularly large plane arrives, someone comments on its size, seemingly surprised by its presence.
There's gotta be 250 or 300 out there
As the enormity of the situation dawns on them, they realize just how many planes are present.
That's a fairly large one, there's gotta be two hundred on her
Another huge plane arrives, and they estimate the number of passengers on board to be quite large.
And now I'm adding this up
In light of the sheer number of planes that have arrived, someone begins to calculate the total figure.
We got 38 planes
The total number of planes that have arrived turns out to be 38.
We got two, three hundred people on the average
Each of the planes has an average of 200-300 passengers on board, meaning that thousands have suddenly descended on the small town of Gander.
Holy shit
As the enormity of the situation dawns on everyone present at the airport, someone exclaims a shocked curse.
Writer(s): Irene Sankoff, David Carl Hein
Contributed by Jayden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.