Bullet Train
Lost Dogs Lyrics


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One, two...one, two, three, four
He gave the people hope and purpose
Built a place called Camelot
And we were the wide-eyed innocents
Until somebody had him shot

Now he's long gone
Too long gone
You know his name
Now he's riding on the bullet train

I have a dream, said the black man
When we'll not study war no more
Equality, he said, for every man here
Then they shot him on the second floor

Now he's been long gone
Too long gone
You know his name
Now he's riding on the bullet train

He bought her a gun for protection
She kept it on a closet shelf
Their little child found it one fateful day
No, he never meant to kill himself

Now he's been long gone
Too long gone
It's a crying shame
Now he's riding on the bullet train
Riding on the bullet train
Riding on the bullet train
Riding on the bullet train

Say a prayer for the dearly departed
Who left this old world all too soon
There's a lot of poor souls on the bullet train
But Lord knows they got more room

Riding on the bullet train
Riding on the bullet train
Riding on the bullet train

Think of all the innocent bystanders
Killed by the gang war strays
Think of the mothers and the baby
Now throw the bloody guns away

Long gone
Too long gone
And we're all to blame
We gotta stop the bullet train





Riding on the bullet train

Overall Meaning

Lost Dogs's song Bullet Train is a poignant commentary on the cycle of violence and tragedy caused by war, inequality, gun violence, and organized crime. The song refers to three different historical figures, each of whom had a vision for a better world and got eliminated by brutal force. The first stanza of the song refers to President John F. Kennedy, who inspired people with hope and built a symbolic utopia called Camelot before being assassinated in 1963. The second stanza refers to Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for equality and peace through nonviolent means and got assassinated on the second floor of a hotel in Tennessee in 1968. The third stanza refers to a child accidently killing himself with a gun that his parents had kept in the house for protection.


The song mourns the loss of innocent lives and calls for an end to the unnecessary and senseless violence perpetuated by political assassinations, gang wars, and gun-related accidents. The recurring refrain, "Now he's riding on the bullet train," suggests that the fallen heroes are beyond human reach and have transcended to another realm. The song also highlights the need for accountability and collective responsibility to prevent more tragedies. The bridge of the song urges listeners to pray for the departed souls and to throw away the guns that have caused so much harm.


Line by Line Meaning

He gave the people hope and purpose
He inspired the masses and gave them a sense of drive


Built a place called Camelot
He established a utopia of sorts


And we were the wide-eyed innocents
We were naive and trusting of the world


Until somebody had him shot
Until an assassin ended his life


Now he's long gone
He's been absent for a while


Too long gone
His absence has been excessively prolonged


You know his name
His legacy has lived on


Now he's riding on the bullet train
He's metaphorically 'traveling' fast and far


I have a dream, said the black man
The black man spoke of his ideal world


When we'll not study war no more
When we'll abolish the idea of war and conflict


Equality, he said, for every man here
He demanded fair treatment for all people


Then they shot him on the second floor
Then someone killed him on the upper level / higher ground


He's been long gone
He, too, has been dead for a while


It's a crying shame
It's a tragedy


He bought her a gun for protection
He purchased a firearm to protect them


She kept it on a closet shelf
She stored it in a closet


Their little child found it one fateful day
Their young child stumbled upon it one day


No, he never meant to kill himself
No, the child didn't intend to harm himself


It's a crying shame
It's a tragedy


Say a prayer for the dearly departed
Let's pay our respects to the deceased


Who left this old world all too soon
Who left this life at a young age


There's a lot of poor souls on the bullet train
There are many lost souls metaphorically 'traveling' quickly and aimlessly


But Lord knows they got more room
But there's plenty of space for them to move around


Think of all the innocent bystanders
Consider all the innocent people caught in the crossfire


Killed by the gang war strays
Killed by stray bullets fired during gang wars


Think of the mothers and the baby
Think of the grieving mothers and their children


Now throw the bloody guns away
Let's dispose of the deadly weapons


And we're all to blame
We all bear responsibility


We gotta stop the bullet train
We need to stop the vicious cycle of violence


Riding on the bullet train
Metaphor for the fast-paced and destructive nature of violence




Contributed by Hunter F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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