Waiting for the Train
The Floyds Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Eins, zwei, drei, alle
Ooh, you cannot reach me now
Ooh, no matter how you try
Goodbye, cruel world, it's over
Walk on by

Sitting in a bunker here behind my wall
Waiting for the worms to come
In perfect isolation here behind my wall
Waiting for the worms to come

We're waiting to succeed and going to convene outside Brixton
Town Hall where we're going to be
Waiting to cut out the deadwood
Waiting to clean up the city
Waiting to follow the worms
Waiting to put on a black shirt
Waiting to weed out the weaklings
Waiting to smash in their windows
And kick in their doors
Waiting for the final solution
To strengthen the strain
Waiting to follow the worms
Waiting to turn on the showers
And fire the ovens
Waiting for the queens and the coons
And the reds and the Jews
Waiting to follow the worms

Would you like to see Britannia
Rule again, my friend?
All you have to do is follow the worms
Would you like to send our colored cousins
Home again, my friend?

All you need to do is follow the worms





The worms will convene outside Brixton Bus Station

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Floyd's song "Waiting for the Train" are full of societal and political commentary. The beginning of the song sets the tone of the singer's defiance and determination to keep themselves isolated from the world. The line "ooh, you cannot reach me now, ooh, no matter how you try" suggests that the singer has gone through an experience that has made them feel unreachable. The second stanza "sitting in a bunker here behind my wall, waiting for the worms to come" speaks to the idea of hoarding resources and isolating oneself in preparation for some kind of life-changing event.


The third stanza shifts to a group of people who are waiting for social change to happen. They are waiting to cut out the deadwood and clean up the city. The image of waiting to follow the worms is visceral imagery that suggests following a lead towards a new world order. The idea of waiting to put on a black shirt, weed out weaklings, and then smash windows and kick in doors seems to suggest the singer sees themselves as part of a political movement that wants to restore order through violence.


The final stanza is a poignant commentary on racism and nationalism. The singer asks if the listener wants Britannia to rule the world again and if they want to send colored cousins home. The use of the phrase "colored cousins" is a clear reference to racial diversity. It then concludes with the chilling image of waiting to turn on the showers and fire the ovens. It is a clear reference to the Holocaust and the genocide that occurred during World War II.


Line by Line Meaning

Eins, zwei, drei, alle
Counting in German, presumably as a nod to the Nazi regime and its association with the concept of 'the final solution.'


Ooh, you cannot reach me now
The singer is disengaging from the outside world, seeking isolation and safety behind their wall.


Ooh, no matter how you try
No one can reach the singer unless they choose to let them in, reinforcing their sense of isolation.


Goodbye, cruel world, it's over
The artist is speaking figuratively, saying goodbye to the outside world and welcoming the isolation they're seeking.


Walk on by
The artist is urging others to leave them alone and not try to engage with them.


Sitting in a bunker here behind my wall
The singer is holed up in their safe space, a bunker, behind the wall they've constructed.


Waiting for the worms to come
The singer is waiting for some sort of invasion or attack, possibly a metaphor for some sort of societal breakdown or change.


In perfect isolation here behind my wall
The artist is emphasizing their isolation and that they're totally cut off from the world around them.


We're waiting to succeed and going to convene outside Brixton
The artist is part of a group that's planning to gather outside Brixton Town Hall to take some sort of action.


Town Hall where we're going to be
The group is specifically targeting the Town Hall as the site of their gathering and maybe even their action.


Waiting to cut out the deadwood
The group is waiting to get rid of the things within their society that they see as non-essential or harmful.


Waiting to clean up the city
The group believes the city is in some way corrupted or impure and wants to purify it.


Waiting to follow the worms
The group is following a path that they believe will lead them to some sort of success or victory.


Waiting to put on a black shirt
The group has some sort of uniform that they'll wear to identify their membership and sense of purpose.


Waiting to weed out the weaklings
The group is seeking to eliminate those they perceive as being too fragile or feeble to continue.


Waiting to smash in their windows
The group is willing to use violence to achieve its aims, even against individual members of society.


And kick in their doors
The group is willing to break into people's homes to hunt down those they perceive as opponents.


Waiting for the final solution
The singer is using another nod to the Nazis and their concept of 'the final solution,' implying that the group believes in the concept of solving its perceived problems in a single, violent act.


To strengthen the strain
The group believes that this violent solution will ultimately make their society stronger and more in line with their ideals.


Waiting to turn on the showers
The group is preparing to use gas chambers to eliminate those they deem harmful.


And fire the ovens
The group is going to dispose of bodies and evidence by incinerating them in ovens.


Waiting for the queens and the coons
The group is targeting people from all walks of life or backgrounds, including royalty, people of color, and communists.


And the reds and the Jews
The group has a definite anti-Semitic and anti-communist bent, viewing these groups as enemies of their vision for their society.


Would you like to see Britannia
The artist is now addressing the listener, asking them if they have a vision for a 'pure' Britannia.


Rule again, my friend?
The singer is asking if the listener wants to see Britain return to some perceived past glory or purity.


All you have to do is follow the worms
The singer is implying that the listener can achieve their vision of society by joining the group and following their violent path.


Would you like to send our colored cousins
The singer is again addressing the listener, this time specifically targeting people of color.


Home again, my friend?
The artist is asking if the listener feels that people of color don't belong in Britain and should be forced to leave.


All you need to do is follow the worms
The artist is suggesting that there's already a path laid out, and all the listener needs to do is follow it to achieve their perceived goals.


The worms will convene outside Brixton Bus Station
The worms are the group of like-minded individuals who will be gathering and planning at Brixton Bus Station to carry out their violent actions.




Lyrics ยฉ Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER WATERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@khankee3527

Lyrics:
Welcome my son
Welcome to the machine
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been
You've been in the pipeline
Filling in time
Provided with toys and scouting for boys
You brought a guitar to punish your ma
And you didn't like school
And you know you're nobody's fool
So welcome to the machine
Welcome my son
Welcome to the machine
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream
You dreamed of a big star
He played a mean guitar
He always ate in the Steak Bar
He loved to drive in his Jaguar
So welcome to the machine



All comments from YouTube:

@Laverntempleton

"What did you dream? It's alright we told you what to dream."
Such a haunting line, so simple but so layered.

@goldylonglocks1

How relevant and scary that this is our new truth

@TheMisterkidray

I feel it's a commentary on the effect of advertising. Advertisers tell us what to dream for...

@evlynstokes6014

i just read this comment while listening and that very line played im spooked

@N888_

Some very heavily true words.

@JM-yc1nh

I couldn't have envisioned it better then how you said it

42 More Replies...

@stuartlanigan4622

i got this album for my 16th birthday... i was 65 last week... it still sounds great...

@JustCallMeLiberty

Happy Birthday!๐ŸŽ‚60 is the new 40 be prepared!

@reubenalvarezsr3750

I'm 68 an still get goose bumps in the reality of Floyd's songs

@davidstahl9027

Shine on you crazy diamond ๐Ÿ˜Š

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