Mystery Train
Garcia & Saunders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train, got my baby and gone
Train, train, comin' round the bend
Train, train, comin' round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
No, not again
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Well, it's bringin' my baby, 'cause she's mine, all mine
She's mine, all mine
Train, train, comin' round, round the bend
Round, round the bend
Train, train, comin' round, round the bend
Round, round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Never will again
Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-hoo
The lyrics of Garcia & Saunders's song Mystery Train are open to interpretation, but one common interpretation is that the train is a metaphor for death. The singer rides a sixteen-coach long train that took their baby and is now coming back, bringing their baby back to them. The train may be seen as a representation of the cycle of life and death, where what is lost will be regained eventually, albeit in a different form.
The repetition of the train's arrival announces the unstoppable passage of time, signaling the inevitability of one's eventual fate. The lyrics have a sense of resignation to fate, but also a hint of hope – that they will be reunited with their loved one again.
It's worth noting that Mystery Train was originally written and recorded by Junior Parker in 1953, and it has since been covered by various artists, including Elvis Presley in 1955. Each artist has their own interpretation of the song, but the themes of death and loss are present in most versions.
Line by Line Meaning
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
The train I'm riding on is very long, it has sixteen coaches
Well, that long black train, got my baby and gone
Unfortunately, my lover has taken a ride on that long, black train and is now gone.
Train, train, comin' round the bend
A train is approaching and turning the corner
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
No, not again
The previous train took away my lover, but it won't happen again
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Another train is coming down the track
Well, it's bringin' my baby, 'cause she's mine, all mine
She's mine, all mine
This train is bringing back my lover because she belongs to me
Train, train, comin' round, round the bend
Round, round the bend
Another train is turning the corner and approaching
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Never will again
The past train may have taken my lover, but it will never happen again in the future.
Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-hoo
No relevant meaning, just a musical expression of emotion.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERMAN PARKER JR., SAM PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind