1. Sam Baker was a blac… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists by this name:
1. Sam Baker was a black Southern Soul artist born 1941 in Jackson, MS, who began his career singing secular music rather than in gospel like most other of his kind at the time. However, he was influenced by gospel as well as blues performers, and performed with the likes of Jimmy Reed, Clyde McPhatter, and others early in his career. He went on to become one of the memorable artists on the legendary Sound Stage 7 label, releasing more sides for the label than any other artist except Joe Simon. The Soulscape reissue label recently re-released this SS7 material on CD. The streamable tracks on this page are a few of his cuts. Sam was also known as Lord Sam Baker when John R and Hoss Allen and others would play his records on WLAC deep in the heart of Dixie, Nashville, TN.
2.: Sam Baker is a country singer-songwriter out of Austin, Texas. Here’s a man who can’t really sing, but mostly just speaks. Who’s deaf on one side, partially deaf on the other. And who can’t use all his fingers while playing guitar anymore. And yet Sam Baker manages to make what has got to be one of the finest Americana albums in recent years. He believes in storytelling and that everyone is at the mercy of another one's dream.
Steel
Sam Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The passenger car explodes
There's not enough time to say goodbye
There's not enough time to know
God have mercy
I believe my heart has failed
Smoke rises through a hole in the roof
The dead say, "fare thee well"
I swear doctor don't you have anything
Like morphine for this pain
I swear Jesus take me now because I'm about to go insane
I'm looking back at the world as one who is leaving
In a dream coming right outta hell
Smoke rises through a whole in the roof
The dead say, "fare thee well"
No one who is just an observer
The same bell tolls for the served and the server
For the strong, the weak, for the weary, for the brave
Everybody wreck on judgment day
Trains explode, steel flies
And sisters ring the Catholic bells
Smoke rises through a hole in the roof
The dead say, "fare thee well"
Sitting on a train to Machu Picchu,
Passenger car explodes
There's not enough time to say goodbye
There's not enough time know
What's gone wrong,
God have mercy
I believe my heart has failed
Smoke rises through a hole in the roof
The dead say, "fare thee well"
The lyrics to Sam Baker's song "Steel" depicts a catastrophic train accident while the singer is en route to Machu Picchu. The incident is narrated from a first-person perspective, which makes the lines "there's not enough time to say goodbye, there's not enough time to know what's gone wrong" more poignant - the singer was an unsuspecting passenger whose fate was sealed by extraneous circumstances outside their control. The aftermath of the explosion is also vividly portrayed through the lyrics - the smoke that rises through the hole in the roof indicating the severity of the incident and the dead bidding farewell.
The latter part of the song has a religious flavor to it, with the singer seemingly turning to God and Jesus for help. The lines "I swear doctor don't you have anything like morphine for this pain" indicates physical trauma, but at the same time, the singer's soul is also tormented, as evidenced by "I swear Jesus take me now because I'm about to go insane". The final lines, "no one who is just an observer, the same bell tolls for the served and the server, for the strong, the weak, for the weary, for the brave, everybody wreck on judgment day" suggest everyone is equal before death, and none of us can escape the inescapable. "Steel" is a melancholic representation of the impermanence and fragility of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting on a train to Machu Picchu
The singer is on a train journey to Machu Picchu, a feeling of hope and excitement.
The passenger car explodes
The unexpected tragedy of the car exploding, leading to impending doom.
There's not enough time to say goodbye
Lack of time to bid farewell, expressing regret and a sense of sorrow.
There's not enough time to know
Lack of information or knowledge about the situation, leading to confusion and panic.
What's gone wrong
Wondering about the reason for the tragedy, searching for answers.
God have mercy
A plea to God for help, safety and support.
I believe my heart has failed
The singer feels immense emotional and physical pain, coming to terms with the tragedy.
Smoke rises through a hole in the roof
The visual of the aftermath of the accident, creating an image of disaster and chaos.
The dead say, "fare thee well"
The voices of the deceased, bidding farewell and finally finding peace.
I swear doctor don't you have anything
A hopeless request for relief from the unbearable pain, a last resort for survival.
Like morphine for this pain
The reference to morphine represents the singer's desperation for any kind of relief from the physical and emotional pain.
I swear Jesus take me now because I'm about to go insane
The feeling of desperation to escape the situation, wishing for death as an escape from the agony.
I'm looking back at the world as one who is leaving
The feeling of being detached from the world, almost as if leaving it, a sense of detachment from reality.
In a dream coming right outta hell
The intensity of the situation, feeling like a nightmare, a sense of horror and despair.
No one who is just an observer
No one is safe from the tragedy, expressing a sense of uncertainty and fear.
The same bell tolls for the served and the server
Death comes for everyone, regardless of their position or circumstance, conveying the idea of the inevitability of death.
For the strong, the weak, for the weary, for the brave
Death does not discriminate, it comes for everyone, even the most resilient and brave individuals.
Everybody wreck on judgment day
A reference to the idea of judgment day when everyone is called to account for their actions, conveying the idea of an uncertain future.
Trains explode, steel flies
The constant reminder of the tragedy and the risks associated with any aspect of life, no matter how mundane or routine.
And sisters ring the Catholic bells
A reference to the traditional ringing of Catholic church bells at times of mourning, highlighting the solemnity and anguish of the situation.
Smoke rises through a hole in the roof
The visual of the aftermath of the accident, creating an image of disaster and chaos.
The dead say, "fare thee well"
The voices of the deceased, bidding farewell and finally finding peace.
Sitting on a train to Machu Picchu,
The beginning of the cycle, the start of the journey, the possibility of hope and excitement.
Passenger car explodes
The explosive ending to the cycle, the reminder of the inevitability of death and tragedy.
There's not enough time to say goodbye
Lack of time to bid farewell, expressing regret and a sense of sorrow.
There's not enough time know
Lack of information or knowledge about the situation, leading to confusion and panic.
What's gone wrong,
Wondering about the reason for the tragedy, searching for answers.
God have mercy
A plea to God for help, safety and support.
I believe my heart has failed
The artist feels immense emotional and physical pain, coming to terms with the tragedy.
Smoke rises through a hole in the roof
The visual of the aftermath of the accident, creating an image of disaster and chaos.
The dead say, "fare thee well"
The voices of the deceased, bidding farewell and finally finding peace.
Contributed by Annabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.