The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I'm just a penny on the train track
Waitin' for my judgement day
Come on baby girl let me see those legs
Before I get flattened away
I wait
Yeah, I wait
For something good, for something great
Stoppin' in somebody's old home town
Gotta get that midnight meal
If you can't get behind your own life
Get behind the driving wheel
And go, just go
Find a place that you don't know
Ran into a friend just the other night
Got a badge, he's a local cop
Haven't seen that boy in over seven years
Since out of high school I dropped
I see, I see
All the things that I should be
Oh baby dance with me!
Even lucky man has a bad day
And pretty girl has a scar
After that train comes and takes me away
Pick up that guitar
And play, just play
Play that rock and roll for me
He's in the yard just washin' his car
Thinkin' 'bout his pretty wife
Makin' lemonade with the kitchen aid
Makin' him a perfect life
And it's grim, so dim
When you wish that you were just like him
I'm just a penny on the train track
Waitin' for my judgement day
Come on baby girl let me see those legs
Before I get flattened away
I wait, I wait
For something good, for something great
And I try, oh I try
I can't stop, I don't know why
Waitin' for my judgement day
Come on baby girl let me see those legs
Before I get flattened away
I wait
Yeah, I wait
For something good, for something great
Stoppin' in somebody's old home town
Gotta get that midnight meal
If you can't get behind your own life
Get behind the driving wheel
And go, just go
Find a place that you don't know
Ran into a friend just the other night
Got a badge, he's a local cop
Haven't seen that boy in over seven years
Since out of high school I dropped
I see, I see
All the things that I should be
Oh baby dance with me!
Even lucky man has a bad day
And pretty girl has a scar
After that train comes and takes me away
Pick up that guitar
And play, just play
Play that rock and roll for me
He's in the yard just washin' his car
Thinkin' 'bout his pretty wife
Makin' lemonade with the kitchen aid
Makin' him a perfect life
And it's grim, so dim
When you wish that you were just like him
I'm just a penny on the train track
Waitin' for my judgement day
Come on baby girl let me see those legs
Before I get flattened away
I wait, I wait
For something good, for something great
And I try, oh I try
I can't stop, I don't know why
Lyrics submitted by plastic tiara, edited by bmd7
Penny on the Train Track Lyrics as written by Freddy Gigele
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"The reflective rocker “Penny on the Train Track,” where Kweller muses about running into an old friend who is now a police officer. “I was at the Wal-Mart in Greenville looking for a mouse trap when I bumped into a buddy from high school and he showed me his badge. That was a big moment for me to realize that we're all growing up. To think that somebody I used to get in trouble with is now a cop!”