Based in Bologna, Italy, Franklin Delano are led by singer, guitarist and s… Read Full Bio ↴Based in Bologna, Italy, Franklin Delano are led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Paolo Iocca and singer/guitarist Marcella Riccardi.
Primarily influenced by the recent post-folk scene raised from the ashes of Red Red Meat, they released a demo on Zahr Records: All My Senses Are Senseless Today (2004) was a mixture of slow pace folk-rock songs, often arranged with a dark Slint-style attitude, that created some excitement among Italian press. Perishable records distributed the record through their online shop.
By that same year the core of the group comprised the trio of Iocca, Riccardi and Vittoria Burattini on drums. Franklin Delanos second effort, Like A Smoking Gun In Front Of Me (2005), marked a slight change in the groups sound. While remaining steeped in the dark slow cored style of their previous album, the songs took influencial benefits from a series of new musical inputs, from psychedelia to Alt-country.
Produced at Clava Studios in Chicago by Brian Deck (former Red Red Meat and Califone member and producer for Modest Mouse, Ugly Casanova, Iron&Wine), the album includes musical contributions by Califone members Ben Massarella, Tim Rutili, and Jim Becker. Like A Smoking Gun saw the band moving on Madcap Collective (Italy) and File 13 Records (Chicago, IL). It was promoted and distributed in the United States and garnered plaudits from the local music press. Most italian critics judged it to be among the year best records. Shortly after the release, Franklin Delano embarked on their first U.S. tour that helped them win fans and also spread the name all over the United States. Soon after, the group suffered an internal shake-up with Burattini replaced by Lucio Sagone at drums, and Marcello Petruzzi at bass.
At the end of 2005 the line-up included Vittorio Demarin at violin, piano, organ and Michele Sarti at percussions and glockenspiel. In 2006 the band signed with Italys Ghost Records, flew to Chicago where they recorded their third album, Come Home with Brian Deck, between Engine and Soma music studios, and toured the U.S. a second time. The album, Come Home, has been released in October. The band has been on tour since then, with a freshly new line-up, including the comeback of Vittoria, and new entry Nicola Manzan at violin and electronics, to join Paolo, Marcella and Marcello.
At the end of 2007 the project cease its activity. Paolo and Marcella have just started a new project joining two midwestern multi-instrumentalists, Davy DelaFuente and Oren Wagner.

Night Train
Franklin Delano Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll catch the night train
I'll run away from here
Before it's too late
You'll see me disappear
I have a gun
But I'll throw it a the river

And I swear to God I won't kill

I'll forget who's on the bill
I'll better be out of this mess
I'm off - one more, one less
And I'm proud of what I've done
You'll forget my face, my son

I'll be a free man pretty soon
Before the dawn will bloom

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Night Train" by Franklin Delano describe the story of a person who is attempting to escape from his problems and his past. The lyrics convey a sense of angst and desperation, as the singer is clearly at his wits' end and doesn't see any other way out.

The first line of the song, "I'll catch the night train", sets the scene for what follows. The singer is planning to leave town under the cover of darkness. He then expresses his urgency to get away before it's too late. The lyrics "Before it's too late / You'll see me disappear" suggest that the singer is running from something specific, perhaps the law or a dangerous situation.

The next few lines introduce a surprising element: the singer has a gun. However, he quickly dispels the notion that he intends to use it by saying "But I'll throw it at the river / And I swear to God I won't kill". This part of the lyrics seems to suggest that the singer wants to leave his past behind and start fresh. He wants to forget the people who have wronged him and move on with his life, unencumbered by revenge or vengeance. The song finishes with the idea that the singer will be free soon, before the dawn will bloom.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll catch the night train
I will leave this place by travelling on the night train.

I'll run away from here
I will escape from this place of trouble.

Before it's too late
I don't want to wait until I'm in deeper trouble.

You'll see me disappear
No one will know where I am going.

I have a gun
I am armed and dangerous.

But I'll throw it a the river
I will get rid of my gun by throwing it into the river.

And I swear to God I won't kill
I promise not to hurt anyone.

I'll forget who's on the bill
I don't want to know who's after me.

I'll better be out of this mess
I want to get out of this chaotic situation.

I'm off - one more, one less
I am leaving this place, without knowing if anyone will miss me or not.

And I'm proud of what I've done
I am satisfied with my decision to leave everything behind and start anew.