Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
Trains and Boats and Planes
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They mean a trip to Paris or Rome
For someone else but not for me
The trains and the boats and planes
Took you away, away from me
We were so in love and high above
We had a star to wish upon
The trains and the boats and planes
Took you away, away from me
You are from another part of the world
You had to go back awhile and then
You said you soon would return again
I'm waiting here like I promised to
I'm waiting here, but where are you
Oh trains and boats and planes took you away
But every time I see them I pray
And if my prayer can cross the sea
The trains and the boats and planes
Will bring back you back, back home to me, whoa
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
The trains and the boats and planes
Will bring you back, back home to me, whoa, whoa
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
In Burt Bacharach's song Trains And Boats And Planes, the singer sings about the various modes of transportation that pass by, which symbolize trips to exotic places like Paris or Rome. These travel opportunities seem to be available to others, but not to him. The trains and boats and planes have taken away his lover, someone he was deeply in love with and shared dreams with. Their love was high above, represented by a star to wish upon, but wishes and dreams have not come true for him. His lover had to return to another part of the world, promising to come back soon. But the singer is now left waiting, hoping that his prayer will cross the sea and bring his lover back to him via the trains and boats and planes that took her away.
The song is a poignant expression of the pain of separation and longing for a lost love. The singer is stuck in place, unable to travel or pursue his love, left only with the memory of their love and the hope that it will be rekindled. The repetition of the trains and boats and planes passing by highlights the singer's feeling of being left behind, while the hopeful chorus expresses his yearning for a happy reunion.
Line by Line Meaning
Trains and boats and planes are passing by
Various modes of transportation like trains, boats, and planes are visible and moving nearby
They mean a trip to Paris or Rome
These modes of transportation may indicate a journey to famous cities like Paris or Rome
For someone else but not for me
However, this journey is not for the singer but for someone else
The trains and the boats and planes
Took you away, away from me
The same means of transportation took the artist's lover away from them
We were so in love and high above
We had a star to wish upon
Wish and dreams come true, but not for me
The trains and the boats and planes
Took you away, away from me
The artist and their lover were deeply in love and had aspirations, but the means of transportation took the lover away, and the wishes and dreams did not come true for the artist
You are from another part of the world
You had to go back awhile and then
You said you soon would return again
I'm waiting here like I promised to
I'm waiting here, but where are you
The singer's lover is from a different part of the world and had to leave, promising to return soon. However, the singer is still waiting, unable to locate their lover
Oh trains and boats and planes took you away
But every time I see them I pray
And if my prayer can cross the sea
The trains and the boats and planes
Will bring back you back, back home to me, whoa
Although the means of transportation took the singer's lover away, the singer still sees them and prays that they will return soon. The singer hopes that their prayer will cross the sea and bring the lover back to them.
The trains and the boats and planes
Will bring you back, back home to me, whoa, whoa
The artist believes that the same transportation medium that took their lover away will bring them back home as well.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, HAL DAVID, BURT F. BACHARACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amandacerasale4679
They don't make songs like that anymore.
@MrKeeft1
@@philipwilliams5808 the album cover reminds me of the old cover hits albums but thats ok.. so many did and it turns out many younger stars were on them...ah yes, NOW we have younger writers and singers doing simple stuff that trhen gets used in ads..there IS a sample of abba in a new car ad, the pipes..knowing you..HAS to be a sample, so many, I get annoyed with same ads..YOU KNOW I KNOW BUSINESS...SIMON COWEL BUGGER OFF. IS he even with Barclays, WHY did they do it when he looked so podgy, eye liner, looks awful..DOES HE think it looks ok, he must..few more quid..my mate didnt believe me as hes the owner of sucj large companies now and STILL in tv and selling to other countries..ippy dippy something is on the end of one ad, thats new, can see the fella..its not that good.. someone thinks it fits..
@rondeneef
remix cat?
@briansr.5219
How right you are,the weird thing is I was teaching a class of 2nd grade children today,the lesson was then and,in their text book ! The theme was ! You guessed it !!! Trains and Boats and planes. After how many decades,the song just like that,came to me. I played it on YouTube for the children,they loved it.
@JanAndPete1
Remember this when I was 16 and in love .Used to stand on a wooden bridge and gaze at the stars and wonder what was in the future .Now I am 62 and am still dreaming when I hear this .
@chriswherry65
Me too, except I'm 71!
Mind you, by now so are you!
@kerryevans5171
What a beautiful memory x
@kerryevans5171
I'm 62 I remember first time I heard this x
@albertdaniel1000
Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart 👣💋🕶💖🤙
@philipnorris6542
Keep on dreaming ang rocking, Janet.