Night Train
Slash Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Loaded like a freight train
Flyin' like an aeroplane
Feelin' like a space brain
One more time tonight

Well I'm a west coast struttin'
One bad mother
Got a rattlesnake suitcase
Under my arm

Said I'm a mean machine
Been drinkin' gasoline
An honey you can make my motor hum
I got one chance left

In a nine live cat
I got a dog eat dog sly smile
I got a Molotov cocktail with a match to go
I smoke my cigarette with style

An I can tell you honey
You can make my money tonight
Wake up late honey put on your clothes
Take your credit card to the liquor store

That's one for you and two for me by tonight
I'll be
Loaded like a freight train
Flyin' like an aeroplane

Feelin' like a space brain
One more time tonight
I'm on the night train
Bottoms up

I'm on the night train
Fill my cup
I'm on the night train
Ready to crash and burn

I never learn
I'm on the night train
I love that stuff
I'm on the night train

I can never get enough
I'm on the night train
Never to return - no
Loaded like a freight train

Flyin' like an aeroplane
Speedin' like a space brain
One more time tonight
I'm on the night train

An I'm lookin' for some
I'm on the night train
So's I can leave this slum
I'm on the night train

And I'm ready to crash an' burn
Night train
Bottoms up
I'm on the night train

Fill my cup
I'm on the night train
Whoa yeah
I'm on the night train

Love that stuff
I'm on the night train
An I can never get enough
Ridin' the night train

I guess, I
I guess, I guess, I guess, I never learn
On the night train
Float me home

Oh I'm on the night train
Ridin' the night train




Never to return
Night train

Overall Meaning

The song "Night Train" by Slash is an ode to the life of a rockstar, filled with excesses and the thrill of the unknown. It begins with the singer feeling like he is flying high and fast, like a loaded freight train or an airplane. He also feels like he is on another planet, a space brain, after a night of partying hard. The lyrics then talk about the singer's persona, which is one of a west coast bad mother with a rattlesnake suitcase filled with secrets. He drinks gasoline and has a smile that is as cunning as a dog eat dog world.


The chorus talks about how the singer is on the night train, ready to party hard and crash and burn. He loves the thrill and excesses of his rockstar lifestyle but also acknowledges that he can never get enough of it. He invites his love interest to join him, tells her to wake up late, don her clothes, and swipe her credit card at the liquor store. He promises that by the end of the night, she will have earned her money and he will be loaded like a freight train.


Overall, the song talks about the high-energy and excesses of living life on the edge, particularly as a rockstar, with all its thrills and potential for self-destruction.


Line by Line Meaning

Loaded like a freight train
Feeling heavily intoxicated, like a train loaded with cargo


Flyin' like an aeroplane
Moving quickly and recklessly, like a plane soaring through the skies


Feelin' like a space brain
Feeling disoriented and confused, like an astronaut lost in space


One more time tonight
One last opportunity to indulge in reckless behavior for the evening


Well I'm a west coast struttin'
Confidently walking and showing off, with a western flair


One bad mother
A tough and intimidating individual


Got a rattlesnake suitcase
Carrying a dangerous and unpredictable possession


Under my arm
Holding the aforementioned object very close


Said I'm a mean machine
Announcing oneself as a powerful and effective force


Been drinkin' gasoline
Intentionally consuming something harmful, likely for a thrill or to prove toughness


An honey you can make my motor hum
Referring to sexual arousal and anticipation


I got one chance left
Aware of the risks associated with continuing this lifestyle


In a nine live cat
Feeling invincible, like a cat with multiple lives


I got a dog eat dog sly smile
Wearing a cunning and manipulative expression, prepared for competition


I got a Molotov cocktail with a match to go
Possessing a lethal weapon and ready to use it


I smoke my cigarette with style
Performing an action with swagger and confidence


An I can tell you honey
Making a promise or proposition


You can make my money tonight
Offering a lucrative opportunity


Wake up late honey put on your clothes
Asking someone to wake up and get ready quickly


Take your credit card to the liquor store
Requesting the use of someone's credit card to buy alcohol


That's one for you and two for me by tonight
Agreeing to split the alcohol, but suggesting imbibing more than the other person


I'll be
Expecting the same behavior as before


Night Train
Referring to the wild, dangerous lifestyle being portrayed


Bottoms up
Encouraging the rapid consumption of alcohol


Fill my cup
Asking for more alcohol


And I'm lookin' for some
Seeking a particular experience or sensation


So's I can leave this slum
Desiring to escape a negative situation or environment


Never to return
Acknowledging the potential for danger and the possibility of never returning from this recklessness


Ridin' the night train
Continuing to participate in this dangerous and reckless lifestyle




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Saul Hudson, Izzy Stradlin, Duff Rose Mckagan, Steven Adler, W. Axl Rose

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions