The Passenger
Stars Lyrics

Seven forty nine
The song starts with the description of the train with its perfect punctuality.

Night train right on time
The train arrives at night precisely on schedule.

Climb the steel stairs
As one boards the train, they must climb the metallic stairs.

Absinthe brandy wine
The train serves a type of alcoholic beverage called absinthe brandy wine.

Spirits moving in the steam
The steam emanating from the train creates a ghostly atmosphere.

Compartment forest green
The train compartment is described with a specific green color.

The rattle of the rails
The sound of the train's tracks reverberates through the compartment.

You fall into a dream
The ambiance of the train lulls you into a deep sleep.

High clouds in the sky
The sky is described with high clouds.

Moon goes racing by
The moon seems to be moving very quickly through the night sky.

Another sleepless night
The singer is unable to sleep, thus creating another night without rest.

So you speed into daylight
To escape the darkness and lack of sleep, the artist eagerly awaits the arrival of daylight.

Here comes another strange town
As the train continues its journey, the singer has arrived in yet another new place.

Here comes another breakdown
The possibility of another problem with the train, such as a breakdown, looms.

And you can run forever
The singer has the option to continue traveling and running away.

They'll catch you now or never
However, the artist cannot run forever, they will be caught eventually.

In the dinner car
The artist moves to the dining car section of the train.

And then later in the bar
They proceed to the bar area of the train later on.

You see yourself reflected
The singer notices their reflection, causing them to contemplate who they truly are.

I wonder who you are
The artist is questioning their own identity and purpose.

The passengers asleep
The surrounding passengers are resting or sleeping.

Dream of secrets that they keep
They're likely dreaming of secrets that they haven't shared with anyone and have kept hidden.

In the cabin next to you
The singer is near a passenger who is upset.

A women starts to weep
The woman in the cabin next to the artist starts to cry.

And then every day
The singer speaks again of time passing and the journey continuing onward.

Things you knew all fall away
The passage of time causes the singer to forget certain things they once knew.

Things you have all disappear
The singer is further forgetting important things in their life, causing them to feel lost.

As if you were never here
The artist feels as though they've been forgotten, or as though they never existed in the first place.

And when you arrive
As the train reaches its final destination,

You're not sure if you're alive
The singer is unsure if they're alive or if the experience on the train was real.

All the passengers are gone
The other passengers on the train have disappeared, leaving the singer alone.

Everybody except one
Only one person remains near the artist.

Station quiet station still
The train station is described as being completely silent and still.

Nothing moves and nothing will
The silence and stillness of the train station is eerie and unsettling.

Put your hand up to your face
The singer performs a physical motion, putting their hand to their face.

There are things you can't replace
The artist realizes there are some things that they've lost that can never be reclaimed or replaced.

Here comes another strange town
The cycle of traveling and moving on continues for the singer.

Here comes another breakdown
The possibility of something going wrong with the train still remains.

And you can run forever
Once again, the option to run is presented as an escape from something.

They'll catch you now or never
However, the artist understands that, eventually, they won't be able to continue running away forever.