Walter Bishop Jr. (1927-1998) was a jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. (T… Read Full Bio ↴Walter Bishop Jr. (1927-1998) was a jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. (The senior Walter Bishop was a composer of popular tunes, including Louis Jordan's hit "Jack, You're Dead.") Following WWII, Bishop played and recorded with a wide array of jazz luminaries, such as Art Blakey and Stan Getz. As a leader, he recorded albums for Black Jazz, Muse, and others. He studied at Julliard in the 1960s, taught in Los Angeles in the 1970s, and in the 1980s taught at the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford (Conn.).

I Thought About You
Walter Bishop Jr. Lyrics

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I took a trip on a train
And I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane
And I thought about you

Two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town

And with each beam, the same old dream

And every stop that we made
Oh, I thought about you
And when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue

I peeped through the crack
Looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you

There were two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream

And then I peeped through the crack
And I looked at the track

Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Walter Bishop Jr.'s "I Thought About You" are a poignant expression of longing for a loved one while on a journey. The singer reveals that they took a trip on a train, and throughout the journey, they thought about their loved one. Passing a shadowy lane triggers thoughts of their loved one, and even with distractions such as two or three cars parked under the stars or moonlight shining down on a little town, their thoughts never waver from their loved one. Every stop on the journey only intensifies their longing, and when they finally pull down the shade, they feel a deep sense of sadness. However, even in their sadness, they continue to think about their loved one, and as they look through the crack and observe the track, they know that they are going back to their loved one.

The lyrics of this song evoke the emotions that often accompany the feeling of separation from those we love. The train journey is not simply a physical journey but also a metaphor for the journey of life. The singer longs for their loved one, and every stop on the journey only makes them realize how much they miss them. The shadowy lane, the moonlight, and the winding stream all symbolize the moments of beauty and wonder that life can offer us. Still, they are not enough to distract from the deep-seated feeling of longing that accompanies separation from those we love.

Line by Line Meaning

I took a trip on a train
I embarked on a train journey

And I thought about you
And during that journey I thought of you

I passed a shadowy lane
I passed a dimly lit street

And I thought about you
And even during that moment, I was pondering about you

Two or three cars parked under the stars
Two or three vehicles were parked under the starry skies

Winding stream
A waterway that twists and turns

Moon shining down on some little town
The moon illuminating a small town

And with each beam, the same old dream
And with each ray of light, the same old wish

And every stop that we made
And every time the train stopped at a new station

Oh, I thought about you
Oh, I couldn't help but think of you

And when I pulled down the shade
And when I closed the window shade

Then I really felt blue
That's when I began to feel truly unhappy

I peeped through the crack
I looked through a small opening

Looked at the track
Observed the railroad tracks

Oh I'm going back to you
Oh, I'm returning to where you are

And what did I do, I thought about you
And what did I do during that time? I thought about you.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: JAMES VAN HEUSEN, JIMMY VAN HEUSEN, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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