Styx is best known for the hit songs "Lady", "Come Sail Away", "Babe", "Boat on the River", "The Best of Times", "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Renegade" and "Mr. Roboto". The band has had four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.
Locomotive Breath
Styx Lyrics
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Runs the all time loser, head long to his death
He feels the piston scraping, steam breaking on his brow
Old Charlie stole the handle and the train
It won't stop going, no way to slow down
He sees his children jumpin' off at stations, one by one
His woman and his best friend in bed and havin' fun
Old Charlie stole the handle and the train
It won't stop going, no way to slow down
Hey, hey, [Incomprehensible], ooh
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie
He hears the silence howling, catches angels as they fall
And the all time winner, has got him by the balls
Oh, he picks up Gideons Bible, open at page one
But, God, he stole the handle and the train
It won't stop going, no way to slow down
No way to slow down, no way to slow down
No way to slow down, no way to slow down, yeah
Charlie stole the handle, no way to slow down
No way to slow down, Charlie stole the handle
The lyrics of Styx’s song “Locomotive Breath” describe a man who is going through a harrowing experience as he rides on a train, feeling helpless in the face of his situation. The man is aware of the “shuffling madness” around him, with the “all-time loser” hurtling towards his death. The man can feel the train’s movement through his body, unable to stop the constant momentum. He sees his family and friends leaving him behind, as Old Charlie stole the handle and the train continues to barrel down the tracks with no end in sight. The chorus “No way to slow down,” is a statement of the man’s powerlessness, unable to change his fate and the direction his life is headed.
As the song progresses, the man becomes increasingly desperate. He hears “the silence howling” and feels the weight of the “all-time winner” bearing down on him, has “got him by the balls.” In his desperation, he grasps onto a Bible, but even God can’t stop the train, as it hurtles onwards with no end in sight. The repeated chorus of “Charlie stole the handle” emphasizes the man’s hopelessness, with no way to slow down or regain control.
Overall, the lyrics of “Locomotive Breath” are a meditation on the human condition and the powerlessness we feel at times in the face of our own lives. The train ride is a metaphor for the journey we are all on, with no way to slow down or change direction once we are on the tracks.
Line by Line Meaning
In the shuffling madness of the locomotive breath
Amidst the chaotic noise of the never-ending journey,
Runs the all time loser, head long to his death
An eternal loser hurtles towards his unstoppable fate,
He feels the piston scraping, steam breaking on his brow
As he moves forward, he senses the intense power of the machine around him,
Old Charlie stole the handle and the train
Someone took control of the train and now it's impossible to stop,
It won't stop going, no way to slow down
The train is relentlessly moving forward with no possibility of slowing down,
He sees his children jumpin' off at stations, one by one
He watches his loved ones leave him behind at each station,
His woman and his best friend in bed and havin' fun
The people he trusted the most are enjoying themselves without him,
Oh, he's crawling down the corridor on his hands and knees
He is reduced to desperation, crawling along the floor of the speeding train,
He hears the silence howling, catches angels as they fall
Amid the clamour, he detects an eerie silence and sense of loss, as he helplessly watches his life slip away,
And the all time winner, has got him by the balls
He is a captive of his circumstances and his fate is being determined by someone else,
Oh, he picks up Gideons Bible, open at page one
He clutches a holy book, perhaps seeking divine intervention,
But, God, he stole the handle and the train
Even divine intervention would be futile, as the train is being controlled by an unknown force,
No way to slow down, no way to slow down
The train is beyond his control and will not slow down,
Charlie stole the handle, no way to slow down
The mysterious figure, Charlie, has taken over the train and it cannot be stopped.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ian Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind