The Letter
Boxtops The Lyrics
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with Leon Russell and the Shelter People)
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane,
I ain't got time to take a fast train.
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home,
'Cause my baby wrote me a letter.
I don't care how much money I gotta spend,
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home,
'Cause my baby wrote me a letter.
Well, she wrote me a letter,
Said she couldn't live without me no more.
Listen, mister, can't you see I got to get back
To my baby once more--anyway...
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane,
I ain't got time to take a fast train.
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home,
'Cause my baby wrote me a letter.
The lyrics to The Box Tops' song "The Letter" depict a man who is eager to return home to his significant other after receiving a letter from her. The opening lyrics, "Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane, I ain't got time to take a fast train," imply a sense of urgency in the man's desire to return home. It seems that he is willing to spend whatever amount of money necessary to make the trip, stating "I don't care how much money I gotta spend."
The line "Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home" suggests that the man has been away for quite some time and that he has been feeling lonely in his absence from his partner. However, the fact that his partner has written him a letter has given him hope and a renewed sense of purpose in his journey home.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home, 'Cause my baby wrote me a letter," which emphasizes the impact that his partner's words have had on him. The song ends with the man acknowledging that he simply cannot wait any longer to be reunited with his loved one, singing "Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane, I ain't got time to take a fast train," once again.
Line by Line Meaning
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane,
I need a plane ticket urgently to go home.
I ain't got time to take a fast train.
A fast train ride will take too long for me to get home.
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home,
I won't be lonely anymore because I'm going home.
'Cause my baby wrote me a letter.
The reason why I'm going home is because my significant other wrote me a letter and I miss them.
I don't care how much money I gotta spend,
I'm willing to spend as much money as it takes to get home to my loved one.
Got to get back to my baby,
I need to go back to be with my significant other.
Well, she wrote me a letter,
My significant other wrote me a letter.
Said she couldn't live without me no more.
My significant other expressed that they cannot live without me anymore.
Listen, mister, can't you see I got to get back
Excuse me sir, I need to urgently get back to my loved one.
To my baby once more--anyway...
I need to go back to my loved one again, no matter what.
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane,
I reiterate that I need a plane ticket to get home quickly.
I ain't got time to take a fast train.
Again, I emphasize that taking a fast train is not a viable option due to time constraints.
Lonely days are gone, I'm a-goin' home,
For the third time, I rejoice that I'm going back home.
'Cause my baby wrote me a letter.
Once again, the reason for me going home is because of the love letter I received.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN BARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@My.name.is.SickBoy
Lyrics :
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'm-a goin' home
Oh, my baby, just-a wrote me a letter
I don't care how much money I gotta spend
Got to get back to my baby again
Lonely days are gone, I'm-a goin' home
Oh, my baby, just-a wrote me a letter
Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn't live without me no more
Listen, mister, can't you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more
Anyway, yeah!
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'm-a goin' home
Oh, my baby, just-a wrote me a letter
Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn't live without me no more
Listen, mister, can't you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more
Anyway, yeah!
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'm-a goin' home
Oh, my baby, just-a wrote me a letter
Oh, go, my baby, just-a wrote me a letter
@RiverRat_1977
This song was on a 90 minute cassette mixtape of several songs my cousin Ronnie recorded to take with him to Vietnam, but he was troubled about going to fight in a war he was against since we lived in Northern California where, in 1967, was the home of the Anti War Movement and the Summer of Love!
Ronnie was pressured to enlist in the Navy because his father was a highly decorated WWII Vet and was determined that his son should follow in his footsteps. Ronnie’s feelings were largely unknown to his brother Larry, his parents, myself, all our other cousins and relatives, and some of his friends at Cloverdale High School. In the end, he was caught between pleasing (placating) his father and going to Vietnam… which he was already legally committed to do after his father had taken him to the recruiting office to enlist when he was still only 17 (Being part of a large Navy Family, it’s just something we did)!!!
I only knew Ronnie was unhappy about the situation, and he frequently expressed this to me, but I didn’t understand how deeply distraught he was becoming as his High School Graduation was getting closer, despite being 8 months away! Late Halloween Night, after he got off of work as the projectionist at the local small movie theater in Cloverdale, I can only imagine how he was feeling inside… the last Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other celebrations at home… because, he would be gone at least 2 years, if he made it back alive (in his mind) before he would be able to celebrate any of these holidays with his family again!
He knew how disappointed and angry his father would be if he went to Canada, or dodged his legally binding commitment to serve, which he would have been arrested for- after the first day he would be considered AWOL!! So, while driving to his parent’s home late that Halloween Night in 1967, he made the decision to take his life by driving over, and then off of, the embankment of the Cloverdale Bridge (Old Highway 101) crashing down a steep rocky ridge into the frigid and fast moving water of the Russian River where he drowned after having been knocked unconscious from the impact.
It was so late and so dark in that small town that nobody saw what happened until early in the morning when someone saw the signs of an obvious collision off the northern approach to the bridge span coming from the northern part of town and heading southbound at a fairly high rate of speed (in a 25 mph zone) to make sure he didn’t just land on the rocks there…
I’ll never forget every detail that led to his suicide- since I was the only family member who knew how Ronnie really felt, and hearing this song just transports me back to that time and causes those memories to just reverberate, yet it reminds me of the warm friendly character Ronnie was and all the great times we had together!!
Ronnie’s younger brother Larry was killed on his motorcycle in Germany by a “Ghost Rider” flying down the wrong way of the Autobahn at a high rate of speed, and without any headlights on, which was considered a daredevil kind of prank for young German drivers who were usually intoxicated. But this activity was considered almost common since they even had a name for the deadly prank, and the people who were driving!
My other cousin Larry was stationed in the US Army over in Germany. But there wasn’t much of him left to send back to his parents in 1977. Just around 10 years after his older brother Ronnie had died. Larry was buried at the Fort Presidio Army Base Cemetery in San Francisco, California, and in a spot that looks over the entire western part of the SF Bay, near the Golden Gate Bridge. He was given full military honors at his burial.
Their parents were shattered after having lost their sons to steel, rubber, asphalt, and having US Military commitments!! I’m reminded of Larry by this song since we wrote each other often… and I’m reminded even more about Ronnie because it was the first song on his mixtape, and because I really miss all the letters we never got to send to each other… and after over 55 years, it’s also about all the missed times we never got to spend with each other as we grew older…
I never could bring myself to tell Ronnie’s father what he really thought about going to fight in a war he despised as much as his friends all did back then! I don’t know if it’s fortunate that Larry never went to Vietnam, having waited a few years after it ended before he decided to enlist in the service. And I’d like to think he did it to make up to his father for what Ronnie couldn’t serve… So their father never knew what Ronnie sacrificed to avoid going to Vietnam, and by my not saying anything, it would never spoil his perception of Ronnie’s death as anything but accidental!!! So I have no regrets for staying silent!!!
@138eliza
My dad who was in Vietnam said this song helped him through that horrific time. He came home but was never the same. I’m happy he had something like this song to come home. Too bad he couldn’t find the peace he was looking for. He was too young gone at 51. To all the veterans thank you. 🙏
@lesliebankston
How lucky your father is to have you. Insight, true compassion and appreciation for the gift of music. God, is surely in you ❤
@FlyingSpaceDog
Salute
@danscott3880
Amen my uncle was there 66-68 he has never been the same. God bless all our veterans. Past. Present
@1stbattlion372
Your was Dad blessed with a daughter like you. My wife divorced me and took our daughter
with while I was in the VA learning how walk with my new leg. Never seen either one of them again. to all Veterans...OORAH !!!
@138eliza
@@1stbattlion372 im sorry to hear what happened. You did more than your best and it was not in vain. I wish you healing ❤️🩹. Endless gratitude for your service. 🙏
@WastedTalent-
Such a great song. The first time I heard this song was about 30 years ago when I was 15 and hanging out at the corner bar. There was a guy, Bob. He was a Vietnam Vet/POW and had vertical scars over his eyes. He loved this song to no end. Always asked me to play it. We'd sing it at the top of our lungs. He told me it reminded him of a better time.
@ottokokko6343
Very nice story. stangers you meet are truly wonderfull sometimes, sticks with you forever
@charlesjonessr3684
I swear this song is not long enough.
@MrMaKeMeDiNnEr
Thats what she said