Los Lobos is a Mexican-American rock band from East Los Angeles, California… Read Full Bio ↴Los Lobos is a Mexican-American rock band from East Los Angeles, California, USA, heavily influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, blues, and traditional Spanish / Mexican music such as boleros and norteño.

Vocalist/guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Pérez met at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, and bonded over their mutual affinity for obscure musical acts such as Fairport Convention, Randy Newman and Ry Cooder. Pérez recalls, "We’re looking at each other, 'You like this stuff? I thought I was the only weird one.' So I went over to his house one day for about a year, which we spent listening to records, playing guitars, and starting to write songs." The two borrowed reel-to-reel recorders from a friend and created multi-track recordings of music spanning from parody songs to free-form jazz. They later enlisted fellow students Cesar Rosas and Conrad Lozano to complete the group's line-up in 1973.

Formed in the late 1970's, band members Dave Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas, Steve Berlin, Louie Pérez and Conrad Lozano became the bellwether for Mexican-American music in the U.S. when they recorded the music for "La Bamba" in 1987, which added popular acclaim to the critical praise they had received for their 1984 album "How Will the Wolf Survive?".

They have since become one of the mainstays of the Latin music scene as well as rock music in general, staying together through over 20 albums, and for almost three decades, through changing music climate and personal tragedies, they've continued cranking out albums and touring to dedicated fans.

Everybody Loves a Train
Los Lobos Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A long time down away on East side, South side
Los Angeles, Detroit, America, U.S.A.
Sittin' right about here watchin' high heels
And sneakers tread concrete platform headin' straight
For who knows where and why and how come

Clack, clack, clack
Goin' down the rails and comin' back

Train a comin' goin'
Clack, clack, clack
Clack, clack, clack

I'm thinkin' in sick brain
"Say man, where you goin' with all those stories
Wrapped up in suitcase and handbags and old rags?"
Says, "I can't say, but the 12:40's got my name"
Well, it goes without sayin', everybody loves a train

Steel whistle blowin' a crazy sound
Jump on a car when she comes around
Steel whistle blowin' a crazy sound
Jump on a car when she comes around

Clack, clack, clack
Goin' down the rails and comin' back
Train a comin' goin'
Clack, clack, clack
Clack, clack, clack

Just goes without saying
That everybody loves a train
Go ahead and call us insane
But we all just love a train

Go ahead

Overall Meaning

and call us insane, the lyrics of Los Lobos's song "Everybody Loves A Train" seem to suggest that every one of us is drawn to the allure of trains. The lyrics paint a picture of people going about their daily business– some in high heels, some in sneakers – as they head to the train stations, ready to board trains that will take them places they may or may not know.

The singer of the song is left wondering where one of the passengers is headed with all their stories wrapped up in suitcase and handbags, but the answer came back with the whistle of a steel train – the 12:40 has his name on it. The song is about the mystery and allure of trains and how they take us to unknown destinations, both physically and, perhaps, metaphorically.

The lyrics "steel whistle blowin' a crazy sound, jump on a car when she comes around" suggest the excitement of jumping on a moving train and heading off to who knows where. This lyrical imagery is reminiscent of classic American literature, where train-hopping and the freedom of the open road is a recurring theme.

Line by Line Meaning

A long time down away on East side, South side
Referring to Los Angeles and Detroit, two cities located on opposite coasts of the United States.

Sittin' right about here watchin' high heels
The singer is observing people passing by on a concrete train platform, including those wearing high heels.

And sneakers tread concrete platform headin' straight
People wearing sneakers are also walking on the train platform, heading somewhere in particular.

For who knows where and why and how come
The artist does not know where these people are heading, why, or how they decided to take the train.

Clack, clack, clack
The sound of the train moving down the tracks.

Goin' down the rails and comin' back
The train is heading in one direction and will eventually turn around to go back.

Train a comin' goin'
The train is not only coming, but it is also going again later.

I'm thinkin' in sick brain
The artist is thinking with a confused or muddled mind.

"Say man, where you goin' with all those stories Wrapped up in suitcase and handbags and old rags?"
The artist is wondering about the stories that people on the train might have, which are metaphorically wrapped up in their luggage.

Says, "I can't say, but the 12:40's got my name"
One person on the train tells the artist that they do not know where they are going, but they have a train schedule to follow.

Well, it goes without sayin', everybody loves a train
Trains are universally loved, and it does not need to be explained why.

Steel whistle blowin' a crazy sound
The sound of the train's whistle is described as crazy, possibly because of how loud and sudden it is.

Jump on a car when she comes around
The singer and others may jump onto the train when it stops at the platform.

Just goes without saying That everybody loves a train
People are naturally attracted to trains and their ability to take them places.

Go ahead and call us insane But we all just love a train
Although others might see their love for trains as irrational, the singer and others still enjoy it.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID KENT HIDALGO, LOUIS FRAUSTO PEREZ

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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