His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
Starlight Express
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Open up your mind
Dream begins it's becoming clearer
Listen to the distant
Listen and you'll find
A midnight train is getting nearer
[Chorus]
Starlight express
Are you real? Yes or no
Starlight express
(Please) answer me yes
I don't want you to go
Take me to the places
I have never been
Bring me home safely before I wake up
'Cause I believe in you completely
Though you may be unseen
This is not a kind of thing that anyone can make up
[Chorus]
You're in need of bigger world
To help you
If you grow on world deeds
Dip it inside
[Chorus]
My starlight Express
Please answer me yes
I don't want you to go
The lyrics of Andrew Lloyd Webber's song "Starlight Express" are a yearning for a deeper connection to the universe beyond our own world. The lyrics suggest that in times of darkness, one should open up their mind to allow themselves to dream and focus on what is not within reach. The imagery of a midnight train getting nearer is used to signify the idea of the deeper connection with the universe becoming closer and more real. The singer is asking for confirmation that these feelings and visions are real and not just their imagination.
The chorus repeats "Starlight Express" and asks the question, "Are you real? Yes or no." This is a plea to the universe to confirm that the singer's hopes and dreams are valid and that their beliefs are not misplaced. The second verse emphasizes the singer's desire to explore new places and experiences, but they want to be safely brought back to reality. Despite the fact that the depth of the singer's beliefs might be seen as unusual, they are convinced that the connection they feel is real.
Overall, the lyrics of "Starlight Express" are a celebration of individual beliefs and desires, and the desire to experience what may be beyond our reach in reality. The song acknowledges that the journey is a difficult one, fraught with uncertainty and doubt, but it is better to try and believe than to never venture out into the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
When the night is darkest
During the night when darkness engulfs everything
Open up your mind
Free up your thoughts and be receptive
Dream begins it's becoming clearer
As your mind clears up, your dreams will start taking a concrete shape
Listen to the distant
Concentrate on the sounds far off
Listen and you'll find
If you listen closely, you may discover something unexpected
A midnight train is getting nearer
A train is approaching slowly under the cover of the night
Starlight express
The train that runs through the starry sky
Starlight express
The train that runs through the starry sky
Are you real? Yes or no
Is the train real or just a figment of the imagination?
Starlight express
The train that runs through the starry sky
(Please) answer me yes
Please confirm that the train is not just a dream
I don't want you to go
The artist wants the train to stay
Take me to the places
The singer wants to be taken to places they have never been to before
I have never been
The singer wants to explore new and uncharted territories
Bring me home safely before I wake up
The singer wants to return home safely before they wake up from their dream
'Cause I believe in you completely
The artist has complete faith in the starlight express
Though you may be unseen
Even though the train may not be visible to everyone, the artist believes in its existence
This is not a kind of thing that anyone can make up
The singer believes that the existence of the starlight express is not something that can be created by imagination
You're in need of bigger world
The train needs to travel to more places
To help you
This will be beneficial to the train
If you grow on world deeds
The train can expand its reach and capabilities by undertaking more journeys
Dip it inside
The train needs to be a part of the larger world to achieve its true potential
My starlight Express
The singer addresses the train affectionately as their own
Please answer me yes
The artist seeks confirmation from the train once again
I don't want you to go
The singer is desperate for the train to stay
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, RICHARD STILGOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ejguanlao1047
RUSTY
When you good nights have been said
And you are lying in bed
With the covers pulled up tight
And though you count every sheep
You get the feeling that sleep
Is going to stay away tonight
That's when you hear it coming
That is when you hear the humming of the
Starlight Express, Starlight Express
Are you real, yes or no?
Starlight Express, answer me yes
I don't want you to go
Want you to take me away
But bring me home before daylight
And in the time between
Take me to everywhere
But don't abandon me there
Just want to say I've been
I believe in you completely
Though I may be dreaming sweetly of the
Starlight Express, answer me yes
I don't want you to go
@keshiaanders6452
I think there should be a movie adaptation of this musical.
Since the characters are actually toy trains, there are ways to make it work & not end up like what happened to "Cats 2019" 😖:
1.) Make the perspectives of how the characters are alive/portrayed like the Lego figures from the Lego movies.
To us in the real world, they are toy trains. But in the trains' world, they are more like Transformers robot people.
2.) To add more world building, let's say that the so-called Starlight Express that Rusty has being praying & hoping to find is actually a big toy train set that the Controller (the owner of those toy trains) always wanted, but to the trains, it's a mythical utopian place where trains old & new can go railing in outer space.
3.) The physical face of the Starlight Express engine that Rusty interacts with is actually the face of the Controller's grandfather, who was the original owner of Rusty, his "parents" (yes both Poppa and Momma are in it together), and his hometown/station set.
4.) Use both practical & digital effects (mostly for the set pieces & lighting).
@ejguanlao1047
Starlight Express
Andrew Lloyd Webber
When the night is darkest
Open up your mind
Dream begins it's becoming clearer
Listen to the distant
Listen and you'll find
A midnight train is getting nearer
Starlight express
Starlight express
Are you real? Yes or no
Starlight express
(Please) answer me yes
I don't want you to go
Take me to the places
I have never been
Bring me home safely before I wake up
'Cause I believe in you completely
Though you may be unseen
This is not a kind of thing that anyone can make up
Starlight express
Starlight express
Are you real? Yes or no
Starlight express
(Please) answer me yes
I don't want you to go
You're in need of bigger world
To help you
If you grow on world deeds
Dip it inside
My starlight Express
Please answer me yes
I don't want you to go
@Brian-wn2vc
Someone told me there was a musical where all the actors play trains and they're all on roller skates. I didn't believe it. Wow.
@annarixon3094
Brian my mum fucking hates this musical and she seen it. She said that she rather watch the emoji movie than this
@blaketurner2270
All of the trains are actually a young boys toys. The idea of the show is that it’s a dream the boy has when he goes to bed. It’s addressed in the beginning. It sets the tone for the play and allows you to get past the biases that Dandelion, the other commenter seems to have. It’s a phenomenal play that touches on how amazing and vivid a child’s imagination can be. I saw this live in Las Vegas as a kid and fell in love with it. To be fair I loved Cats as well. 🤷♂️
@whatsittooya4608
Dandelion Spaghetti
Wow she must really hate it
@tinamaycock6625
Yeah i saw it and it was fab.x
@davidcarroll8735
Brian I saw the original in London in 1986, it was amazing. Granted, I’m a ALW fan. The NY Broadway version wasn’t up to my memory of the original, and most here on YouTube don’t either.
@kingbear7874
Andrew had a way of throwing a ton of whimsy into concepts that seemed to fantastical on paper. Beautiful.
@joline2730
I think Richard Stilgoe is the REAL person behind this great story ... 💟💟
@StephanieMorinGoogle
I...never heard of this. Is this the Cats for steampunk fans?
@Ihascosplay
no its Tomas the tank engine for 80s kids