In June 1954, producer Sam Phillips teamed up Elvis Presley with local musi… Read Full Bio ↴In June 1954, producer Sam Phillips teamed up Elvis Presley with local musicians Scotty Moore, who played guitar, and Bill Black, who played bass. Sam was hopeful that the trio could come up with a hit record. On July 5, 1954, they did. Their version of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" became the first of five singles Elvis released on the Sun label. The trio continued to tour and record together for the next several years. Five new rare photos of Elvis with Scotty and Bill have just been added to the

Mystery Train
Scotty & Bill Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train got my baby and gone

Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
No, not again

Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine
She's mine, all mine

Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
'Round, 'round the bend
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
'Round, 'round the bend

Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Never will again

Overall Meaning

The song "Mystery Train" by Scotty & Bill is a blues-rock classic that tells a story of heartbreak and loss. The singer of the song is on a train that is sixteen coaches long, and he laments the fact that his baby has been taken away by a "long black train." He repeats the phrase "Train, train, comin' 'round the bend" several times, underscoring the inevitability of what has happened.

The train becomes a symbol of the singer's despair and powerlessness. He knows that the train is bringing his baby back to him, but he also knows that it will never bring her back in the same way. The repetition of the phrase "She's mine, all mine" is a reminder that, even though she may physically return to him, she will never be the same.

Ultimately, "Mystery Train" is a song about the futility of trying to hold on to something that is gone. The train is a metaphor for the passage of time, which can never be reversed. The singer has no choice but to accept what has happened, even though he knows that he will never be the same.

Line by Line Meaning

Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
The train I am stepping on has sixteen long coaches

Well, that long black train got my baby and gone
Unfortunately, my lover was taken away by that ominous-looking long train

Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
There is another train coming towards me, making its way around the curve

Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
My beloved had been taken away by the previous train, but it won't happen again

Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Here comes another train down the track, getting closer and closer

Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine
This train is carrying my sweetheart because she belongs to me and me alone

Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
Once again, another train is sweeping around the bend in the distance

Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Although my lover had been taken away by a train before, it won't happen again

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Herman Parker Jr., Sam Phillips

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

BlueParadoxical

Such a classic. Possibly my favorite from the Blue Moon Boys' Sun sessions, although it's probably tied with Baby Let's Play House and a few others! Hard to choose.