Rudy's on a train to nowhere, halfway down the line
He don't want to get there, but he needs time
He ain't sophisticated, nor well-educated
After all the hours he wasted, still he needs time
He needs time
He needs time for livin'
He needs time
For someone just to see him
He ain't had no lovin'
For no reason or rhyme
And the whole world's above him
Well it's not as though he's fat
No there's more to this than that
See, he tries to play it cool
Wouldn't be nobody fool

Rudy thought that all good things comes to those that wait
But recently he could see that it may come but too late, too late, too late

All through your life, all through the years
Nobody loved, nobody cared
So dim the light, dark are your fears
Try as I might, I can't hold back the tears
How can you live without love, it's not fair?
Someone said give but I just didn't dare
I didn't dare, I didn't dare

What good advice are you waiting to hear?
Hearing's alright for them that's all there
Hearing's alright
You'd better gain control now
You'd better show 'em all now
You'd better make or break now
You'd better give and take now
You'll have to push and shove now
You'll have to find some love now
You'd better gain control now

Now he's just come out the movie
Numb of all the pain,
Sad but in a while he'll soon be
Back on his train


Lyrics submitted by cheeky_munkeys42, edited by kwisp

Rudy Lyrics as written by Roger Hodgson Richard Davies

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Rudy song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +6
    General Comment

    OK, so I haven't read the other other comments, but here's the TRUTH:

    The song is from one of Supertramps earlier albums called "Crime of the Century." It's the album where they got another few of their hits, including "Dreamer," and "Bloody Well Right."

    IMPORTANT Basically, the entire album is a story. The first song, "School", talks about a kid named Rudy who hates the education system because it discourages free-thinking and creativity. The album then goes on to talk about how Rudy protests this in many different forms and to many people, including his friends, his parents, and his teachers. He becomes dissillusioned from society.

    In "Rudy", Rudy has been put into a psychiatric hospital because he had a mental breakdown. The song itself talks about how Rudy has been let out and is able to co-exist in society, but is in a constant state of self-crisis. He tries to fit in, but really can't, and the line "He'll soon be back on his train," talks about how he eventually will accept that he will never fit in.

    One of my fav Supertramp songs, so sad, so true. (Remember, this is based in Britain in the '70's.)

    BNLFTWon December 08, 2011   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Rudy, the chubby procrastinator who never does anything with his life, as he is under the shadow (world's above him) an unfair life. His passed the stage of being able to redirect his life with good advice. He is only happy under the temporary escapes, movies, and perhaps alcohol/drugs (back on his train).

    MattBiancoon March 19, 2016   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I can't help but think that part of the song might relate to insanity/mental illness in someway.

    Particularly the closing lyrics: "Now he's just come out the movie Numb of all the pain Sad but in a while he'll soon be Back on his train..."

    For some reason it just makes me think of some of my chronic psych patients I see in the ER.

    mobileinfantryon September 04, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I may be only 15, but even i know Supertramp is a classic that everyone should at least give a chance...(sadly many don't) I looked on cdnow at the cd that this song is on and one of the persons that reviewed had a pretty good interpretation of what it might mean...they somehow related it back to pink floyd and syd barrett. So if you're curious check it out. Anyhoo it was interesting and better than nothing, but if you have a better interpretation let me know pleez!

    pink_lady89on March 26, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Rudy needs to get his shit together, he's scared of life and he's going to run out of time.

    eiwetson February 22, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Ok, the main line here - that the original lyric poster got wrong is:

    See he tries to play it cool But he'll be nobody's fool

    It's an unfortunate flub there because that line probably sums up the whole song. Rudy has been too preoccupied with the planning for life and not the LIVING of it. All he can do it watch the movie and everything unfold around him. He's like a ghost - not here, not anywhere.

    He's too afraid to make a decision and commit because of all the things he's been told to do by everyone else. He's got to 'show em all', 'gain control', etc.

    The 'movie' he comes out of is a representation of the world around him. He knows he's not a part of it and that the distance between him and real life is the same as the distance between real life and a film.

    ctlizyrdon September 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Isn't there a movie called Rudy? If there is, there might be a connection of some sort, expecially if the movie was based on a real person. I'm not sure what its about, but if someone has seen the movie could you please tell me if there is a connection? :)

    FreddieIsMyIdolon January 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yes there is a movie called Rudy. It's about a boy, who lives in a small town and loves football. Problem is he's really small. It's based on a true story. He gets into Norta Dame and works insainly hard at school and football. He's put on. I donno.. not the starting line up. In the end he gets to dress for a game and gets to play for 10 mintues. It's relaly cute actually

    sammayon March 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Meanwhile, lets dicuss it here. I haven't interpreted the lyrics yet, but I really love this song all the same. I especially like the cool section towards the end ("you better...).

    welshbard482on December 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I believe Rudy is the symbol of everything that is not wanted, a renegade but more than ordinary individual who is not given a chance to explore himself and become someone else, someone better, someone special and therefore my opinion is that this is a recurring character, present in " The four albums "; Crime of the century, Crisis, Quietest and Breakfast.

    Ex Abruptoon February 19, 2007   Link

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