Five Hundred Miles
Justin Timberlake Carey Mulligan & Stark Sands Lyrics


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If you missed the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

A hundred miles, a hundred miles
A hundred miles, a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two
Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four
Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home

Away from home, away from home
Away from home, away from home
Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home

Not a shirt on my back
Not a penny to my name
Lord, I can't go back home this ole way

This ole way, this ole way
This ole way, this ole way
Lord, I can't go back home this this ole way

If you missed the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

A hundred miles, a hundred miles
A hundred miles, a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles




You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Justin Timberlake's song "Five Hundred Miles" depict the story of a person who had to leave their home and is now far from it. The opening line, "If you missed the train I'm on, You will know that I am gone," indicates that the singer is on a train, and if someone missed the same train, they would know that he is gone. The following line, "You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles," adds to the imagery of a train passing through different towns.


The chorus, which repeats twice in the song, emphasizes the distance of the singer from his home: "Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two. Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four. Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home." The repetition of "away from home" accentuates how far the singer has gone.


The third verse tells us that the singer doesn't have a shirt on his back and not a penny to his name. He cannot go back home "this ole way." It implies that even if he wanted to return home, he wouldn't be able to. The final chorus reiterates the point that if someone missed the train, they would hear the whistle blow a hundred miles, indicating that the singer has moved so far away that his home is distant and elusive.


Line by Line Meaning

If you missed the train I'm on
If you weren't able to catch the same train as me


You will know that I am gone
Then you'll realize I already left


You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
The sound of the train blowing its whistle can be heard from far away


A hundred miles, a hundred miles
The distance is quite significant


Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two
A way to count or keep track of distance traveled


Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four
Continuing to count the miles as they go by


Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home
Revealing the exact distance traveled


Away from home, away from home
Emphasizing the fact that they are far from where they started


Lord, I'm five hundred miles away from home
Repeating the same line for emphasis


Not a shirt on my back
Lacking basic necessities


Not a penny to my name
Having no money or possessions


Lord, I can't go back home this ole way
Expressing the difficulty of returning home in their current situation


This ole way, this ole way
Referring to their current state or condition


Lord, I can't go back home this this ole way
Repeating the previous line for emphasis


You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
The sound of the train blowing its whistle as it continues on its journey


A hundred miles, a hundred miles
Repeating the distance once again


You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles
Concluding with the repeated line, indicating the ongoing journey




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hedy West

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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