Eliza Gilkyson (born in Los Angeles, California, in 1950) is an American fo… Read Full Bio ↴Eliza Gilkyson (born in Los Angeles, California, in 1950) is an American folk musician based in Austin, Texas. She has been recording and performing her unique blend of folk, country, and other genres since the late 1970s. She is the daughter of the late Terry Gilkyson, an accomplished songwriter noted for music he composed for Disney. She is the sister of Tony Gilkyson, who played with the Los Angeles-based bands Lone Justice and X. She has collaborated with both during the course of her career.

She received much critical acclaim for her 2005 release, Paradise Hotel, which contains songs that strike a chord with listeners in light of recent events. "Requiem" honors Hurricane Katrina and tsunami victims with hopeful pleas to the Virgin Mary, while "Man of God" is a bitter, unapologetic denouncement of President George W. Bush and his administration.

"The actions of this regime do not follow the teachings of Christ, what I call real Christianity," Gilkyson said in August 2005. "I just don't appreciate the religious right acting like I don't love God and my country just because I'm not in their corner. I'm mad and I want other people to be mad about this too."

In 2008, her album Beautiful World came out, again on Red House Records. The songs vary from pop to folk and points in-between, with songs ranging from intimate ballads to rallying cries against the imperialist machine. She recently collaborated on a new album entitled Red Horse with two of her Red House Records label-mates John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky.

In 2011, she came out with Roses at the End of Time. Recorded at her home with the help of her son and co-producer Cisco Ryder, Gilkyson took a longer time in the studio and came out with a more eclectic and personal album. She continues to tour about 150 dates per year in the United States and overseas.
www.elizagilkyson.com

RUNAWAY TRAIN
Eliza Gilkyson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everyone knew she was gonna be fast
Everyone said they could build her to last
10,000 tons of hurtlin' steel
Screamin' round the curves nobody at the wheel

Everyone said don't pay it any mind
There's a pot of gold waitin' at the end of the line
Just move with the eye of the hurricane

You'll never get off this runaway train

Nobody cared when they piled on board
And the doors snapped shut and the engines roared
They pushed to the front
Some fell to the back
Buyin' and sellin' every inch of the track
Deep in the engines fire in the hole
Dark skinned workers shovelin' coal
All singin' their sad refrain
We'll never get off this runaway train

Up in the diner everybody decked out in their finery
Can't see the wreck comin' up ahead
With their bellies full of wine
It's the last thing going through their minds
So proud of the engine proud of the speed
Call for the porter give them everything they need
Stare through the glass feel no pain
Don't even know they're on a runaway train

Long after midnight a pitiful few sound the alarm
Don't know what else to do
Bangin' on the doors of the cabin and crew
Hey we gotta slow down or we won't make it through
Sleepy riders don't want to wake
Or suffer the shock when they put on the brake
Don't want to question , don't want to complain
Rather keep ridin' on this runaway train

Runaway train

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song “Runaway Train” by Eliza Gilkyson tell the story of a train hurtling down the tracks with nobody at the wheel, and a variety of passengers aboard. The song uses the metaphor of the runaway train to illustrate the dangers of blindly chasing after something, whether it be wealth, success, or anything else. The train is going too fast, and nobody knows how to slow it down, even as it hurtles towards an inevitable crash.

The verses describe different groups of passengers on the train, all of whom are caught up in the momentum of the runaway train. The song suggests that these passengers are all complicit in the train’s fate, whether they are the workers shoveling coal into the engine or the wealthy diners in the front of the train. The refrain, “we’ll never get off this runaway train”, emphasizes the idea that once we start down a particular path, it can be difficult or even impossible to change our course.

Through her lyrics, Gilkyson warns against the dangers of being consumed by a desire for success or driven by external pressures to keep moving forward, particularly when it means ignoring the warning signs that we are on a path to disaster. The song encourages us to be more mindful of the paths we choose and to take responsibility for our own lives, rather than blindly following the crowd.

Line by Line Meaning

Everyone knew she was gonna be fast
The train was always meant to go quickly.

Everyone said they could build her to last
People believed that the train was built to withstand anything.

10,000 tons of hurtlin' steel
The train was a massive machine made of steel.

Screamin' round the curves nobody at the wheel
The train was speeding recklessly with no one in control.

Everyone said don't pay it any mind
People encouraged others to ignore the danger of the train.

There's a pot of gold waitin' at the end of the line
People believed that taking the train would lead to great wealth or success.

Just move with the eye of the hurricane
People were told to go with the flow and not question the danger of the situation.

You'll never get off this runaway train
The train was so dangerous that there was no way to escape it.

Nobody cared when they piled on board
No one considered the danger of boarding the train.

And the doors snapped shut and the engines roared
Once on the train, there was no way off and it was already in motion.

They pushed to the front
Passengers fought to get closer to the front of the train.

Some fell to the back
Others were left farther back on the train.

Buyin' and sellin' every inch of the track
Passengers were taking advantage of the situation, even if it meant disregarding their safety.

Deep in the engines fire in the hole
Workers were working hard to keep the engine running, regardless of the danger.

Dark skinned workers shovelin' coal
Workers of color were contributing to keeping the train going.

All singin' their sad refrain
Workers had a sense of sorrow about the situation.

We'll never get off this runaway train
The workers realized there was no way to stop the train.

Up in the diner everybody decked out in their finery
Passengers were eating and enjoying themselves, without considering the danger.

Can't see the wreck comin' up ahead
Passengers were oblivious to the impending disaster.

With their bellies full of wine
Passengers were drinking, further numbing themselves to the danger.

It's the last thing going through their minds
The passengers' final thoughts were of the luxurious experience, not of their mortality.

So proud of the engine proud of the speed
Passengers were impressed with the train and its speed.

Call for the porter give them everything they need
Passengers were demanding more service and attention, without realizing the severity of the situation.

Stare through the glass feel no pain
Windows and alcohol allowed passengers to disconnect from the danger of the situation.

Don't even know they're on a runaway train
Passengers were completely oblivious to the fact that they were on a train out of control.

Long after midnight a pitiful few sound the alarm
Few people realized the danger and tried to warn others.

Don't know what else to do
The concerned passengers were unsure how to prevent disaster.

Bangin' on the doors of the cabin and crew
The concerned passengers tried to get the attention of the crew, hoping they would be able to stop the train.

Hey we gotta slow down or we won't make it through
The concerned passengers pleaded with the crew to take action and slow the train.

Sleepy riders don't want to wake
Many other passengers were not concerned and were more interested in sleeping than trying to prevent disaster.

Or suffer the shock when they put on the brake
Some passengers didn't think the train was going too fast or out of control, and they didn't want to be scared into wakefulness.

Don't want to question , don't want to complain
Most passengers didn't want to acknowledge the danger or inconvenience of the situation.

Rather keep ridin' on this runaway train
Despite grogginess or concern, most passengers didn't try to stop the train; they resigned themselves to their fate.

Runaway train
The title refers to the train being out of control and unstoppable.

Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Eliza Gilkyson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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