Kris Delmhorst (reputedly born in 1970 in Brooklyn) is an American folk sin… Read Full Bio ↴Kris Delmhorst (reputedly born in 1970 in Brooklyn) is an American folk singer based in Boston. In 1998, after several years of experience of performing live, Delmhorst finally finished recording her debut album, Appetite. In the same year she was involved in producing the Respond compilation, a fundraiser for domestic violence groups, which included her song "Weatherman".

In 1999, Delmhorst released a live album with The Vinal Avenue String Band, consisting of herself, Sean Staples, and Ry Cavanaugh.

Delmhorst is married to Jeffrey Foucault. In 2003, Delmhorst, Foucault, and Peter Mulvey released an album entitled Redbird.

Delmhorst's more recent albums include Strange Conversation (2006), Shotgun Singer (2008), and Cars (2011).

You're no Train
Kris Delmhorst Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well a train blows a whistle before it pulls away
But no word or warning do you say
One minute right beside me, another you're a thousand miles away

Well I felt such a shaking and I heard such a whirr
And I swore we were moving fast enough to blur
Then I opened up my eyes and found that we're right back where we were

Baby you're no train, you're the track
Always running away, always running back
Baby you're no train, you're the steam blowing by

How I longed for the journey, and those far distant lands
I believed all your promises and plans
Now I'm standing at the station with a lonely ticket in my hand

Baby you're no train, you're the track
Always running away and running back

Baby you're no train, you're the silence behind
So roll on

Overall Meaning

In Kris Delmhorst's song "You're no Train," the lyrics speak of comparing a person to a train. A train blows a whistle before it starts moving, but this person did not give any warning before leaving. The singer mentions feeling a wide range of emotions, including shaking and hearing whirring noises, but then realizing that nothing has changed. The person is there, then gone, and then comes back again. The song portrays someone who is always running away then coming back, similar to a train that is constantly moving on tracks but inevitably circling back to the same place.

The chorus further emphasizes this comparison by saying the person is not a train but rather the track. They are always there and never really leaving. The singer believed promises of taking a journey to distant lands but ultimately was left alone with a lonely ticket in hand. The lyrics speak of the disappointment and realization that this person does not offer the adventure and change they were seeking.

Overall, "You're no Train" is a tender and reflective piece of music that speaks to the universal experience of longing for constant adventure and excitement, even if we are not always able to live up to those dreams ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

Well a train blows a whistle before it pulls away
A train emits a warning before leaving, but you don't give any indication of leaving.

But no word or warning do you say
You don't communicate or give any signal before disappearing.

One minute right beside me, another you're a thousand miles away
You're present for a moment and then distant and unreachable the next.

Well I felt such a shaking and I heard such a whirr
I experienced a sense of movement and activity.

And I swore we were moving fast enough to blur
I believed we were progressing quickly and with intensity.

Then I opened up my eyes and found that we're right back where we were
I realized that our situation hadn't changed and we were back where we started.

Baby you're no train, you're the track
You're not the vehicle for progress, you're the obstacle in the way.

Always running away, always running back
You're constantly disappearing and reappearing.

Baby you're no train, you're the steam blowing by
You're not the force of power and progress, you're the fleeting and momentary display of it.

How I longed for the journey, and those far distant lands
I desired adventure and exciting new experiences.

I believed all your promises and plans
I trusted your words and intentions for the future.

Now I'm standing at the station with a lonely ticket in my hand
I'm left alone with the hope of something that may never come.

Baby you're no train, you're the track
You're not going anywhere and you're holding me back.

Always running away and running back
You're unpredictable and unreliable in your presence.

Baby you're no train, you're the silence behind
You're not the source of any activity or progression, you're the quiet void left behind.

So roll on
Leave and continue on your way without me.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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