1. Beau was the recording name of Le… Read Full Bio ↴There are 7 artists named Beau.
1. Beau was the recording name of Leeds-based singer-songwriter CJT Midgley who recorded two albums for John Peel's Dandelion label in the early 70s - "Creation" and "Beau". His single "1917 Revolution" was a number one in Lebanon
2. Beau are a post-punk outfit from Victoria, Canada. Please see Beau (Canada).
3. A Japanese visual kei band called "ｂｅａＵ".
4. Beau is an alternative rock singer-songwriter hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. Please see Beau*
5. A Thai singer, full name Beau Sunita Leetikul
6. Beau is a young female singer-songwriter from Melbourne, Australia
7. Beau is a New York City based alt-pop duo consisting of Heather Goldin and Emma Jenney.
Nine Minutes
Beau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
John Ridges saw the dull reflected glowing panel light.
Beneath his hands, the warm controls responded to his touch
As he drank a little coffee, though he didn't care for much.
He also had a bite to eat, a thing he liked to do;
The cutting here was long and clear, the engine driver knew.
And then a strange thing happened; felt like something breaking free
And the time was 4.03.
He never saw or understood why anything was wrong;
The glowing gauges disappeared, his instruments had gone.
He heard a sound, though what it was his mind could not deduce.
He couldn't see, as others could, the giant breaking loose.
Amid the screams of tortured steel, he tried to stop the train.
The flying sparks before the eyes that wouldn't see again
Were coming through the cabin floor, now gone without a trace,
And Driver Ridges felt the cooling wind upon his face.
The grinding ceased; the stricken train came slowly to a halt,
And some survivors still maintain it was all the driver's fault.
But no one caught a fleeting glimpse among the trackside pines
Of the smiling face of the one who placed the rocks upon the lines.
And the time was 4.09.
Beau's song "Nine Minutes" tells the story of a tragic train accident that occurred at 4:03 am. The song is vivid and descriptive, with each verse painting a picture of what happened before, during, and after the accident. The first verse introduces the train driver, John Ridges, who is in control of the 3.19 train as it speeds through the night. He is described as drinking coffee and eating, seemingly relaxed and focused on the task at hand. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that something is not right. The second verse describes a strange sensation that John experiences, as if the train is lifting slightly. The glowing gauges disappear, and he hears a sound that he cannot identify. The third verse is the most intense, describing the chaos and destruction that ensued as the train derailed. John tries to stop the train, but it is too late. Sparks fly as the cabin floor disintegrates, and John is left with nothing but the wind on his face.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of foreboding, as if something terrible is about to happen. The lyrics are expertly written to create tension, and the simple yet haunting melody adds to the overall feeling of unease. The final verse is particularly eerie, as it implies that the accident was no accident at all. Someone placed rocks on the tracks, causing the derailment, and got away without anyone seeing their face. The song ends with the time of the accident: 4:09, just nine minutes after the train left its station.
Overall, "Nine Minutes" is a poignant and powerful song that tells a tragic story with incredible skill and sensitivity. It is a testament to Beau's songwriting ability and his ability to evoke emotion with words and music.
Line by Line Meaning
At 4am the 3.19 was hurrying through the night.
The train was moving fast at 4 in the morning.
John Ridges saw the dull reflected glowing panel light.
The driver saw the reflection of the instrument panel light on a dull surface.
Beneath his hands, the warm controls responded to his touch
The driver felt the warmth of the controls and they responded to his touch.
As he drank a little coffee, though he didn't care for much.
The driver drank a little coffee even though he didn't like it.
He also had a bite to eat, a thing he liked to do;
The driver enjoyed having a bite to eat.
The cutting here was long and clear, the engine driver knew.
The driver knew that the cutting was long and clear.
And then a strange thing happened; felt like something breaking free
Something strange happened and it felt like something was breaking free.
As the lines appeared to lift a fraction, momentarily.
The lines seemed to lift up for a moment.
And the time was 4.03.
The time was 4:03 AM.
He never saw or understood why anything was wrong;
The driver did not understand or see what was going wrong.
The glowing gauges disappeared, his instruments had gone.
The gauges disappeared and the driver's instruments stopped working.
He heard a sound, though what it was his mind could not deduce.
He heard a sound but couldn't figure out what it was.
He couldn't see, as others could, the giant breaking loose.
The driver couldn't see the train breaking loose like others could.
Amid the screams of tortured steel, he tried to stop the train.
With the sound of the train screeching, the driver tried to stop it.
The flying sparks before the eyes that wouldn't see again
The sparks blinded the driver as he tried to see through his eyes again.
Were coming through the cabin floor, now gone without a trace,
The sparks came from the cabin floor which was now gone without a trace.
And Driver Ridges felt the cooling wind upon his face.
The driver felt a cooling wind on his face.
The grinding ceased; the stricken train came slowly to a halt,
The train came to a stop after the grinding sound stopped.
And some survivors still maintain it was all the driver's fault.
Some survivors blamed the driver for the accident.
But no one caught a fleeting glimpse among the trackside pines
No one saw the person who put rocks on the tracks.
Of the smiling face of the one who placed the rocks upon the lines.
The person who placed the rocks on the tracks was smiling.
And the time was 4.09.
The time was 4:09 AM.
Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@colincarroll7954
Trevor Midgeley second album on Dandelion with Way We Live aka Tractor. Not as good as his first.