Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referenced Middle America and the working class of Belleville.
TRAIN
Uncle Tupelo Lyrics
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Sittin' in my car, watching
Waiting on a train
Ninety-seven flatcars
Loaded down with troop trucks and tanks
Rolling by
I'm twenty-one, and I'm scared as hell
Because of all that I'll be the first one to die in a war
The whole damn town was sleeping
Dreaming the same dream
The radio was playing
Roger McWilliams singing
"To each and every thing there's a time and a season
I'm twenty-one, and I'm scared as hell
I quit school, I'm healthy as a horse
Because of all that I'll be the first one to die in a war
Yes, I have the right to say
We all die anyway
But I'd just like to know
Where does my time go
The lyrics of Uncle Tupelo's song Train depict a young person's fear of dying in a war. The first verse explicitly narrates the scene where the singer is watching a troop train loaded with tanks and trucks pass by. This is a clear indication that the country is preparing for war. The singer is merely twenty-one, and being young and healthy makes him a likely candidate for serving in the army. He quit school to avoid going to war, but he is still terrified by the possibility of having to fight and die.
In the second verse, the singer portrays the town in a state of slumber, perhaps oblivious to the impending war. The radio is playing a song that hints at the cyclical nature of life, where everything happens in its own time. The singer then repeats his fear of dying in a war at such a young age and questions where his time will go.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection of the fear and anxiety that young people face when faced with the prospect of having to fight in a war. It highlights the innocence and uncertainty of youth and how such moments of crises can be overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
A quarter after two
The specific timing of the event being described
Sittin' in my car, watching
The singer is observing the passing train from a car
Waiting on a train
The singer is waiting for the train to pass
Ninety-seven flatcars
The number of flatcars that have passed by the artist so far
Loaded down with troop trucks and tanks
The cargo being transported on the train
Rolling by
The movement direction of the train
I'm twenty-one, and I'm scared as hell
The singer's age and emotional state
I quit school, I'm healthy as a horse
The artist's background before entering the potential war
Because of all that I'll be the first one to die in a war
The artist's belief that his odds of survival in a war are low
The whole damn town was sleeping
The setting and atmosphere of the scene
Dreaming the same dream
The shared state of mind of the town's residents
The radio was playing
The presence of background noise and the source of it
Roger McWilliams singing
The singer of the song being played on the radio
"To each and every thing there's a time and a season
The lyrics to the song being played on the radio
Yes, I have the right to say
The singer's acknowledgement of their personal freedom
We all die anyway
The inevitability of death
But I'd just like to know
The artist's desire for knowledge
Where does my time go
The specific aspect of life the singer wants to understand better
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAY FARRAR, JEFF TWEEDY, MIKE HEIDORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind