The Train Song
Bad Seeds/Nick Cave Lyrics

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Tell me how long's the train been gone?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
And was she there?
And was she there?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?

Tell me how many coaches long?
Tell me how many coaches long?

What did she wear?
And what did she wear?
Tell me how many coaches long?

Tell me when did the whistle blow?
Tell me when did the whistle blow?
And did she tie her hair?

And did she tie her hair?
Tell me when did the whistle blow?

Overall Meaning

The Train Song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a hauntingly beautiful track that tells the story of a man longing for a lost love. The lyrics are repetitive and reflective, like a mantra that the singer is trying to use to piece together what happened to the woman he loved. He is asking for details - how long the train has been gone, how many coaches there were, what she was wearing, and whether she tied her hair. But what he is really asking is for someone to help him understand what happened to her and why he can't find her.

The song is a prime example of Nick Cave's storytelling abilities. It perfectly captures the feeling of loss and the desperation of wanting to know what happened to a loved one. The singer's curiosity is mixed with sorrow and regret, creating a powerful emotional response. The train metaphor is used to describe the passage of time and how the singer is left behind, unable to catch up to his lover.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me how long's the train been gone?
Inquire about the duration of the train's departure

And was she there?
Wonder if a specific person was present during the train's departure

Tell me how many coaches long?
Request information regarding the number of carriages attached to the train

And what did she wear?
Inquire about the clothing worn by a particular person

Tell me when did the whistle blow?
Request information regarding the timing of the train's whistle

And did she tie her hair?
Question if someone tied their hair, presumably before the train's departure

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN SAMUEL CARTER, JAMES CLAY FULLER, RUSSELL BLACK III JONES, CHARLES CLARENCE PRUET, MICHAEL ASHOK SAIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@hdagelic

15y↑12

God, this is beautiful; I heard almost everything from Cave & Bad seeds and never heard this one... And now I can't stop listening I'm enchanted.

@georgemoschopoulos1191

7y↑20

I locked myself in a room in Clapham for a year and did nothing,” states Cave, who claims he sat and watched five videos a day and ate Indian takeaway every night for a year. “I couldn’t get out of the house. I was a basket case.”
But not a complete basket case: for during that time, Nick had access to a piano upstairs from his flat at which he would occasionally sit and write. Two numbers Nick drew out of himself during his Clapham lacuna were “The Train Song” and “Sorrow’s Child”; and both tunes ended up being recorded in the course of sessions for what ultimately became Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds sixth album release, The Good Son.

@hdagelic

15y↑6

If you try to imagine the scene... I mean... This is such a clear expression of love for someone, if she left You'll forever remember everything of that moment; what did she wear, how many coachers did the train have and when did she tie her hair. No, this is fantastic.