Freight Train
Kasey Chambers Lyrics
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I had a station wagon and a hundred dollars
I was thinkin' about the girl I'd lost a year before
I hadn't seen her for some time
I thought that I might go on by
When your memory came floodin' in
And you closed that door
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I was a diesel locomotive
I'd come whistlin' down your track
Crashin' in your door
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I didn't have a heart
And you'd need a shovel for the coal
Just to get me started
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I was a freight train
Well every time I talk to you
And I hear your jealous lies
I feel like I've been left abandoned
On some old railway side
And every time I hear your voice
My water just gets cold
My stoker will not stoke
And my boiler will not boil
(CHORUS)
Well every time I fell behind
And I could not get ahead
I wish someone would pull the lever
And give me a little sand
And every time I slip behind
Even further back
I wish some switchman would come out of the fog
And change my track
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I was a diesel locomotive
I'd come whistlin' down your track
Crashin' in your door
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I didn't have a heart
And you'd need a shovel for the coal
Just to get me started
Wish I was a freight train baby
Wish I was a freight train . . .
Kasey Chambers’s Freight Train is a song about a man who is reminiscing about a lost love. He is driving in Chippewa with only a hundred dollars when the thought of his ex-girlfriend comes to him. He had not seen her for some time but the memory of her rekindles his desire to be with her. However, it seems that she has moved on and found someone else because every time he talks to her, she tells jealous lies. He wishes he was a freight train, a diesel locomotive so he could crash into her door, and she couldn’t ignore him. Furthermore, he wishes he didn't have a heart so that he could forget about her completely.
The song speaks about the man's longing and hopelessness to move forward in his life, for he will always be stuck in the past. The metaphor of the train also comes to show that the man is determined to move on with things, but seems to be stuck in one place. The sound of a train chugging is interwoven in the song, creating a sense of urgency and restlessness that coincide with the lyrics. The song is built on a driving, insistent melody that makes it easy to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I just came down from Chippewa
I recently arrived from Chippewa.
I had a station wagon and a hundred dollars
I had a hundred dollars and a station wagon.
I was thinkin' about the girl I'd lost a year before
I was reminiscing about a girl who left me a year ago.
I hadn't seen her for some time
It had been a while since I last saw her.
I thought that I might go on by
I considered passing by her.
When your memory came floodin' in
But then her memories suddenly came back to me.
And you closed that door
I realized that I couldn't go on and had to move on from her.
Wish I was a freight train baby
I wish I could be as powerful and unstoppable as a freight train.
Wish I was a diesel locomotive
I wish I had the strength and endurance of a diesel locomotive.
I'd come whistlin' down your track
I would confidently pursue my goals and desires.
Crashin' in your door
I would show up and make my presence known.
Wish I didn't have a heart
I wish I could be heartless and not be affected by emotions.
And you'd need a shovel for the coal
I would require a tremendous amount of effort to stop me.
Just to get me started
But once I start, nothing can stop me.
Well every time I talk to you
Whenever I have a conversation with you.
And I hear your jealous lies
When I hear your baseless accusations of jealousy.
I feel like I've been left abandoned
I feel like I'm alone and unsupported.
On some old railway side
Like I'm stranded on the side of an old railway.
And every time I hear your voice
And every time you speak to me.
My water just gets cold
I feel a chill run through me.
My stoker will not stoke
My inner motivation drops significantly.
And my boiler will not boil
I feel hardly driven to do anything.
Well every time I fell behind
Whenever I fall short of expectations.
And I could not get ahead
Whenever I fail to make any progress.
I wish someone would pull the lever
I wish someone would help me overcome obstacles.
And give me a little sand
I wish someone would give me a slight push.
And every time I slip behind
When I make no progress and get farther behind.
Even further back
I slip farther behind in my goals.
I wish some switchman would come out of the fog
I wish someone would come out of nowhere and set me back on track.
And change my track
And set me on a different, perhaps better path.
Contributed by Josiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@a8127
One of the sweetest ladies ever....
@deltamx
kasey is a legend and her band is so tight
@deltamx
the way she just stands there almost motionless and serves it up is hypnotic
@moonlightlady6126
Truly an artist ahead of her time!
@glen922
I love her voice.
@Yesica1993
I adore her music! And she seems like such a fun, sweet, down to earth person as well.
@Mamaofthehooligan
great lyrics great guitar &the talent she has to sing it
@jameswest9684
I remember when i was 16 i seen her live
@Butiknyul
I love her voice. 8)
@emmylunatic
I wish this whole set was on Youtube. Would gladly chase around the site to see more of it. We were there but a bit furthur away.