Last Train to Clarksville
Pam Tillis Lyrics


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Take the last train to Clarksville
And I'll meet you at the station
You can be there by 4:30
'Cause I've made your reservation
Don't be slow
Oh no no no, oh no no no

'Cause I'm leaving in the morning
And I must see you again
We'll have one more night together
'Til the morning brings my train
And I must go
Oh no no no, oh no no no
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home

Take the last train to Clarksville
I'll be waiting at the station
We'll have time for coffee flavored kisses
And a bit of conversation
Oh no no no, oh no no no

Take the last train to Clarksville
Now I must hang up the phone
I can't hear you in this
Noisy railroad station all alone
I'm feeling low
Oh no no no, oh no no no
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home

Take the last train to Clarksville,
And I'll meet you at the station,
You can be here by four-thirty,
'Cause I've made your reservation, don't be slow,
Oh, no, no, no,
Oh, no, no, no,
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home.
Take the last train to Clarksville,
Take the last train to Clarksville,




Take the last train to Clarksville,
Take the last train to Clarksville.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pam Tillis's "Last Train to Clarksville" speak of a couple saying goodbye as one person gets on the last train departing to Clarksville. The singer is urging the other person not to be slow in arriving at the station to meet them before they depart. They make plans for a final night together, promising to spend time enjoying coffee-flavored kisses and conversation, but the looming uncertainty of whether or not the departing person will ever return hangs over the lyrics. As the singer gets ready to hang up the phone due to the noise of the railroad station, they express their sadness and doubt by repeating the phrase, "Oh no no no."


At its surface, the song appears to be about a couple saying goodbye before departure. However, it's also believed to have a deeper, more significant meaning tied to the Vietnam War. The song was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for The Monkees, who recorded it in 1966, and it quickly became a hit. Many have speculated that the song was a subtle anti-war protest song, and the last train symbolized soldiers going to fight in Vietnam. The repeating "Oh no no no" phrase at the end of each verse represented the uncertainty and fear of Vietnam soldiers never returning home.


Line by Line Meaning

Take the last train to Clarksville
Let's meet up in Clarksville and leave together on the last train before I must leave


And I'll meet you at the station
I'll be waiting for you at the train station for our departure


You can be there by 4:30
Make sure to arrive on time so we don't miss the train


'Cause I've made your reservation
I've already secured your spot on the train


Don't be slow
Hurry up and don't be late


Oh no no no, oh no no no
I'm worried that you might not get here on time


'Cause I'm leaving in the morning
I have to leave early in the morning, so this is our last chance to be together


And I must see you again
I need to spend one more night with you before I leave


We'll have one more night together
We have a little bit more time to spend with each other


'Til the morning brings my train
Our time together will end when the morning arrives and my train departs


And I must go
I have to leave soon


Oh no no no, oh no no no
I don't want to leave, but I have to


And I don't know if I'm ever coming home
I'm unsure if I'll ever be able to return home


We'll have time for coffee flavored kisses
We'll enjoy some sweet moments together over a cup of coffee


And a bit of conversation
We'll have a chance to chat and catch up before I leave


Now I must hang up the phone
We have to end our phone call because I have to leave soon


I can't hear you in this noisy railroad station all alone
The station is too loud and chaotic for me to hear you properly, and I'm feeling lonely


I'm feeling low
I'm sad and feeling down


Take the last train to Clarksville
Let's make the most of the time we have left and take the last train out of here


Take the last train to Clarksville
I really need you to come meet me, and we'll leave this town together


Take the last train to Clarksville
Let's leave all our troubles and worries behind and start anew in Clarksville


Take the last train to Clarksville
This is our last chance to escape, so let's take the last train out of here




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY HART, TOMMY BOYCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

KekoBassPlayer

This is amazing!

Larry Napier

Pam loves jazz ! I do too ! I studied under Buzzy Orange I love her and this rendition ! Go girl !

monster399

Great job on this one Pam.

James Carrera

Excellent

The Dog Dad

Paul Franklin coal train boogie song !