Chris Smithers song "Love you like a man" from Smithers first album has been famously covered by Bonnie Raitt who has made it a signature song of hers under the title "Love me like a man" (published on her second Album "Give it up")- she has openly expressed admiration for Chris Smithers songwriting and guitarplaying. Later Raitt's version of the song has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Diana Krall.
The protagonist of Linda Barnes's series of "Carlotta Carlyle" mysteries is a fan of Smither's music and several of her books mention it.
Train Home
Chris Smither Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got nothin' left to hide,
take me as I am,
not what I wanna be.
The why we'll never know, we passed that long ago.
Is and was is all we're ever gonna be.
He's almost shade, down by the river,
takes a breath and makes a dive alone.
But the dead don't get no vacation,
down in that subway station,
the only break they take is to the bone.
They waitin' on a train to take 'em home.
I don't think I see much of anything for me
in visions of the past or the ever-after.
Now is what can be,
all the rest is wait and see,
those prophets never hear that cosmic laughter.
And gypsies in their wagons rollin'
never hear those death bells tollin',
never take no notice of the tone.
But I do, and my pulse beats quicker,
scornful laughs and knowing snickers,
stop my heart and sink it like a stone.
And I'm waitin' on a train to take me home.
This ain't what it seems, it's not the stuff of dreams,
nothing is as clear as this confusion.
The somewhat welcome news
is there is no way to lose,
because what isn't real is genuine illusion.
And it's all about that graveyard dancin',
some sit still, some still prancin',
some get caught between them
in a zone where there's nothin' left to give 'em cover,
they can't even see each other,
they just step and stumble on their own.
They waitin' on a train to take 'em home.
They waitin' on a train,
I'm waitin' on a train,
we all waitin' on a train to take us home.
The “Train Home” by Chris Smither is a poignant piece that captures the human experience of waiting, uncertainty, and eventual death. It begins by urging the listener to look inside and see that there is nothing left to hide. The singer then encourages the listener to take them as they are instead of what they wish to be. The first verse ends with the realization that the “why” is long past, and all that is left is “is and was.”
The second verse personifies death as a being that waits for no vacation and offers no respite. The dead are waiting for a train to take them home, and the living are waiting to follow them like passengers aboard the train. The third verse rejects the notion that there is anything to be gained in the visions of the past or the ever-after. The present is what can be changed, and what isn't real is only genuine illusion. The fourth and final verse discusses the graveyard dance of those trapped between life and death, unable to see each other, stumbling and waiting for the train to take them home.
Overall, the song is a meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. The train serves as a symbol for the journey that awaits everyone, but the ultimate destination is unknown. The lyrics also touch on the importance of living in the moment, embracing oneself and others without judgment or pretense. The final message suggests that we are all waiting to be taken home, and the journey is what we make it.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a look inside,
Please take the time to understand my true self.
I got nothin' left to hide,
I am an open book with no secrets left to keep.
take me as I am,
Please accept me for exactly who I am.
not what I wanna be.
Don't judge me based on what I wish I could be, but on who I truly am.
The why we'll never know, we passed that long ago.
We need to stop dwelling on the past and accept that we may never know the true reason for our situations.
Is and was is all we're ever gonna be.
We cannot change the past, so we must focus on making the most of the present moment.
He's almost shade, down by the river,
He is a shadow of his former self near the river.
feels a breath that makes him shiver,
A breeze sends chills down his spine.
takes a breath and makes a dive alone.
He takes a deep breath before diving into the river alone.
But the dead don't get no vacation,
The deceased do not get a break from their eternal rest.
down in that subway station,
The subway station symbolizes the afterlife, where the dead wait for their train home.
the only break they take is to the bone.
The dead only rest in their graves, and even that is a mere physical rest, as their bones remain in motion due to natural decay.
They waitin' on a train to take 'em home.
The dead wait for their final journey to take them to their eternal resting place.
I don't think I see much of anything for me
I do not believe that the past or the afterlife holds anything for me.
in visions of the past or the ever-after.
I do not find comfort in contemplating the past or the unknown future afterlife.
Now is what can be,
The present moment is all that we can truly change or influence.
all the rest is wait and see,
The future is unknown and we can only wait to see what it holds for us.
those prophets never hear that cosmic laughter.
People who claim to know the future are not truly aware of the cosmic forces beyond their comprehension.
And gypsies in their wagons rollin',
The traveling gypsies represent the transient nature of life.
never hear those death bells tollin',
They do not fear death or the unknown.
never take no notice of the tone.
They are carefree and oblivious to the danger and uncertainty of life.
But I do, and my pulse beats quicker,
Unlike the gypsies, I am aware of the looming danger and death that awaits me.
scornful laughs and knowing snickers,
Others may scorn me for my fear and uncertainty, as they are not aware of the same danger.
stop my heart and sink it like a stone.
The fear of death can be paralyzing and suffocating.
And I'm waitin' on a train to take me home.
I am anxiously waiting for the journey to my eternal resting place, even with the fear that lies ahead.
This ain't what it seems, it's not the stuff of dreams,
Reality is not always as perfect as it appears in our dreams or imagination.
nothing is as clear as this confusion.
Life can be confusing and chaotic, and there are no clear answers.
The somewhat welcome news
The only small bit of comfort in this confusion is that we cannot truly lose anything, as reality is not permanent.
is there is no way to lose,
We cannot lose anything in the grand scheme of things, as everything is subject to change.
because what isn't real is genuine illusion.
The things we place value on in life are nothing more than an illusion, as they ultimately hold no true importance or permanence.
And it's all about that graveyard dancin',
The dead find no rest, but are constantly dancing in their graves due to natural decay movements.
some sit still, some still prancin',
The dead can rest still in their graves or move around, depending on the natural movements of their decaying bones.
some get caught between them
Some dead are in a limbo state between rest and movement within their graves.
in a zone where there's nothin' left to give 'em cover,
In this state, there is no way to hide or protect oneself from the natural decay and dance movements of the bones.
they can't even see each other,
The deceased in this state cannot see one another, as they are only aware of their own movements.
they just step and stumble on their own.
The dance movements are involuntary, leaving the dead to stumble and move around their graves without control or coordination.
They waitin' on a train to take 'em home.
Even the dead, in their eternal restlessness, are waiting for a final journey to their eternal resting place.
They waitin' on a train,
The constant waiting for the final journey home can be felt in both the living and the dead.
I'm waitin' on a train,
Even in life, we are constantly waiting for something, whether it be a metaphorical journey or a physical one.
we all waitin' on a train to take us home.
In the end, all living beings are waiting for the final journey to their ultimate resting place, whatever it may be.
Writer(s): Chris Smither Copyright: Homunculus Music
Contributed by Kayla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.