… Read Full Bio ↴"Runaway Train" is a song by the Minneapolis rock band Soul Asylum.
The song led Soul Asylum to international status, and helped bring their album, Grave Dancers Union to a multi-platinum level.
It was the third single off the album (see Soul Asylum discography) and reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts. It won a Grammy Award for the best rock song in 1994.
The song has become synonymous with the band, and has led many people to believe that it is the group's only hit, categorizing Soul Asylum as a one-hit wonder band. However, the band's 1995 hit "Misery" also charted in the Top 40 in several countries including the US and UK, and therefore they are not considered to be a one-hit wonder. "Runaway Train" continues to receive a lot of airplay on the radio today, with disc jockeys often making mention of the influential music video that accompanied the song.
RUNAWAY TRAIN
SOUL ASYLUM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a slow torch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning
So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
Promised myself I wouldn't weep
It seems no one can help me now
I'm in too deep
There's no way out
This time I have really led myself astray
Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
Can you help me remember how to smile
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded
Life's mystery seems so faded
I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train
Everything is cut and dry
Day and night, earth and sky
Somehow I just don't believe it
Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughin' at the rain
Little out of touch, little insane
Just easier than dealing with the pain
Runaway train never comin' back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
Runaway train never comin' back
Runaway train tearin' up the track
Runaway train burnin' in my veins
Runaway but it always seems the same
The lyrics to Soul Asylum's hit song "Runaway Train" paint a picture of a person who is lost and desperate, and seeking a way out of their life of pain and confusion. The opening lines describe a person who is so lost that they are calling for help in the middle of the night, feeling like a "firefly without a light." The singer compares themselves to a "key that could use a little turning," suggesting that they feel trapped and need someone to help guide them towards a better path.
The song's chorus focuses on the idea of a "runaway train," setting up a metaphor for the singer's sense of being out of control and headed in the wrong direction. They describe themselves as being on a "one way track," with no way out of their situation. Despite their best efforts to find their way, they seem stuck in a state of limbo, neither here nor there.
The bridge of the song is a plea for help, with the singer asking for someone to remind them how to smile and make life feel worthwhile. They express a feeling of disillusionment with the world around them, as if life's mysteries have become faded and dull. In the final verse, the singer describes themselves as being out of touch and a little bit insane, using the metaphor of a runaway train to represent their sense of desperation and disconnection.
Overall, the lyrics to "Runaway Train" paint a vivid picture of a person who is lost and seeking guidance, struggling to navigate a world that feels out of control.
Line by Line Meaning
Call you up in the middle of the night
I called you when I felt lost and hopeless
Like a firefly without a light
I felt empty and directionless
You were there like a slow torch burning
You were my guiding light
I was a key that could use a little turning
I needed someone to help me unlock my potential
So tired that I couldn't even sleep
I was exhausted from trying to keep secrets
So many secrets I couldn't keep
I had too much weighing on me
Promised myself I wouldn't weep
I tried to hold back my tears
One more promise I couldn't keep
I couldn't even keep my own promises
It seems no one can help me now
I felt hopeless and helpless
I'm in too deep
I was overwhelmed and stuck
There's no way out
I felt trapped and alone
This time I have really led myself astray
I made a mistake that I can't fix
Runaway train never going back
I'm lost and can't turn back
Wrong way on a one way track
I'm going in the wrong direction
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
I thought I was making progress
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
I feel lost and stuck in-between
Can you help me remember how to smile
I need help finding happiness again
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
I want to find purpose and meaning in life
How on earth did I get so jaded
I became disillusioned and cynical
Life's mystery seems so faded
I lost my sense of wonder and curiosity
I can go where no one else can go
I have unique experiences and perspectives
I know what no one else knows
I have knowledge and insight that others don't
Here I am just drownin' in the rain
I feel overwhelmed and helpless
With a ticket for a runaway train
I'm on a path to nowhere
Everything is cut and dry
Things are predictable and boring
Day and night, earth and sky
The world is mundane and routine
Somehow I just don't believe it
I have lost faith in the world
Bought a ticket for a runaway train
I made a choice to leave my old life behind
Like a madman laughin' at the rain
I'm losing my grip on reality
Little out of touch, little insane
I'm disconnected and unstable
Just easier than dealing with the pain
It's easier to run away than face my problems
Runaway train tearin' up the track
My life is spiraling out of control
Runaway train burnin' in my veins
My emotions and fears are consuming me
Runaway but it always seems the same
No matter where I go or what I do, my problems follow me
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PIRNER, DAVID ANTHONY PIRNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sajujacob4419
Very sad for all the lost.
Extremely happy for the folks who could be found because of this video.
This is one meaningful video.
Showed it to my 9-year-old son to help him understand the ill effects of running out of house without informing us.
Thank you Soul Asylum!
@coradunn127
This September will be 30 years my sister Martha Dunn has been missing. Thank you Soul Asylum for featuring her. Much love, Cora Dunn❤
@axylnazareta1955
😢😢
@tashak5152
I’m so very sorry! I can’t even imagine what you and your family go through....how old was she?
@jimmiejohnson4871
Im sorry for what happened ❤️
@broooooooke3783
i am so sorry that you’re going through this. i hope everything turns out okay.
@sakura_sauce
I’m genuinely so sorry for you, I wish you and your family the best :)
@pearea0
I came here after listening to the latest Crime Junkie episode on missing children. Stories of some of the missing children featured here has been discussed in this podcast.
May these beautiful souls find peace 🙏
@doseoftheater
Same here. For anyone here who wants to know the stories of some of the missing children featured in this music video, you might want to listen to Crime Junkie's recent episode: MISSING: Runaway Train Kids
@Tornadokid200
Fr me to, i forgot how dark but true this video is
@thenaturallycurious_sriya
Saame