RUNAWAY TRAIN
4HIM Lyrics


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The second hand is spinning
feel's like time's slippin'
Drippin' through our fingers

We're movin and we're shakin
blessed ties we're breakin'
racin' into the future
Will we ever take the time to look back
Will we ever realize we're not on the right track

We're runnin' out of control
selling our souls
for a ticket on a runaway train

No matter how far we go
we're moving farther from home
bound for Babel on a runaway train

The coals are in the fire
All aboard desire
we're rollin' higher
buildin' the tower

This is human nature
to believe the fable
we're able to match our maker

Maybe somewhere down the line we'll look back
maybe then we'll realize
we're not on the right track

We're runnin' out of control
selling our souls
for a ticket on a runaway train

No matter how far we go
we're moving farther from home
bound for Babel on a runaway train

We're in a deadly human race
Conducting our own destiny
Only God's unchanging grace
can pull us off this crazy thing

Before it all crashes down
we've got to turn it around
Run for cover from this runaway train

We're runnin' out of control
selling our souls
for a ticket on a runaway train

No matter how far we go




We're moving farther from home
bound for Babel on a runaway train

Overall Meaning

The song "Runaway Train" by 4HIM talks about the fast-paced and chaotic nature of human life. The song starts with the singer talking about how time seems to be slipping from our hands like water droplets. We're moving and shaking, but at the same time, we're also breaking ties and racing towards the future. However, while we're running towards a destination that's unknown, we're also losing track of our past and forgetting where we came from. We're on a runaway train, selling our souls for a ticket to a place that may not even exist.


The song refers to the biblical story of Babel, where humans built a tower to reach the heavens. The lyrics talk about how building the tower is human nature to believe the fable that we're capable of matching our maker, but in reality, we're just moving farther away from home. The song points out that we're in a deadly human race conducting our destiny, and only God's unchanging grace can pull us off this crazy thing. The song calls us to turn around, run for cover, and get off the runaway train before it all crashes down.


Line by Line Meaning

The second hand is spinning
Time is passing quickly


feel's like time's slippin'
It feels like time is slipping away


Drippin' through our fingers
We can't hold onto our time


We're movin and we're shakin
We're always busy and active


blessed ties we're breakin'
We're breaking important relationships


racin' into the future
We're moving forward quickly


Will we ever take the time to look back
Will we ever reflect on our past decisions and actions


Will we ever realize we're not on the right track
Will we ever understand that we're not making the right choices


We're runnin' out of control
We're losing control


selling our souls
We're sacrificing our values


for a ticket on a runaway train
For a chance at success or happiness that's out of control


No matter how far we go
No matter how much we achieve


we're moving farther from home
We're moving further away from our true identity and values


bound for Babel on a runaway train
We're heading towards chaos and confusion on an out-of-control journey


The coals are in the fire
We're ready to go


All aboard desire
Our desires are driving us forward


we're rollin' higher
We're achieving more and more


buildin' the tower
We're trying to achieve great heights


This is human nature
This is typical for humans


to believe the fable
To believe in false promises


we're able to match our maker
We're able to be like God


Maybe somewhere down the line we'll look back
Maybe eventually we'll reflect on our choices


maybe then we'll realize
Maybe at that point we'll understand


We're in a deadly human race
We're in a race towards destruction


Conducting our own destiny
We're in control of our own fate


Only God's unchanging grace
Only God can save us from our destructive path


can pull us off this crazy thing
Only God can rescue us from our out-of-control situation


Before it all crashes down
Before everything falls apart


we've got to turn it around
We need to change our course


Run for cover from this runaway train
We need to protect ourselves from our destructive path




Writer(s): MARTY MAGEHEE

Contributed by Lucy V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@rion947

Powerful.

@Flash33c

@Stephie2007 Thank you for the information. I have updated both the title and the description to include Marty's name in them.

@JonesMediaMan

4Him did record this song together as well, so technically you are correct when you identify it as a 4Him song too.

@Stephie2007

Technically, this is Marty's solo song. It's not a 4him song. But I can see why that's an easy mistake to make.

@samuelcarvalho47

Does anyone know where I can get this full album? I've been looking for a long time and haven't found it.

@Flash33c

In case you haven't found it yet I was able to find it currently available on Amazon.

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