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.
We are climbing
Jacob's ladder
We are climbing
Jacob's ladder
Out of these boxcars
And out of these chambers
Out of the bed where we lay
With ten strangers
We are climbing
Jacob's ladder
We are climbing
On jacob, jacob's ladder
It's a fish white belly
A lump in my throat
Razor on the wire
Skin and bone
Piss and blood
In a railroad car
One hundred people
Gypsies queers
And david's star
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory now
This train
Yeah
Measure the bones
Count the face
Pull out the teeth
Did you get them all?
Do you belong
To the human race
Doctor doctor
Are you unkind
Do you shock the monkeys
Cover our eyes
With clear blue skies
Ah
This train is bound for glory
Ah
This train is bound for glory
Ah
This train is bound for glory now
Ah ah
This train
Here is a dancer
Who has no legs
Here is a teacher
Who has no face
Here is a healer
Who has no hands
Here is a runner
Who has no feet
Here is a thinker
Who has no head
Here is a builder
Who has no back
Here is a writer
Who has no voice
These are the questions
These are the answers
Stacked like wood
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory now
This train
This train is bound for glory
This train it carried your mothers
This train is bound for glory
This train it, it carried your fathers
This train is bound for glory now
This train it, it carried your sisters
This train
This train it, it carried your brothers
(Here is a teacher)
This train it, it carried my sisters
(Here is a writer)
This train it, it carried my brother
(Here is a thinker)
This train is
This train is bound for glory
These are the questions
Stacked like wood
These are the answers
Here is potential
And it's gone for good
Jacob's ladder
We are climbing
Jacob's ladder
Out of these boxcars
And out of these chambers
Out of the bed where we lay
With ten strangers
We are climbing
Jacob's ladder
We are climbing
On jacob, jacob's ladder
It's a fish white belly
A lump in my throat
Razor on the wire
Skin and bone
Piss and blood
In a railroad car
One hundred people
Gypsies queers
And david's star
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory now
This train
Yeah
Measure the bones
Count the face
Pull out the teeth
Did you get them all?
Do you belong
To the human race
Doctor doctor
Are you unkind
Do you shock the monkeys
Cover our eyes
With clear blue skies
Ah
This train is bound for glory
Ah
This train is bound for glory
Ah
This train is bound for glory now
Ah ah
This train
Here is a dancer
Who has no legs
Here is a teacher
Who has no face
Here is a healer
Who has no hands
Here is a runner
Who has no feet
Here is a thinker
Who has no head
Here is a builder
Who has no back
Here is a writer
Who has no voice
These are the questions
These are the answers
Stacked like wood
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory
This train is bound for glory now
This train
This train is bound for glory
This train it carried your mothers
This train is bound for glory
This train it, it carried your fathers
This train is bound for glory now
This train it, it carried your sisters
This train
This train it, it carried your brothers
(Here is a teacher)
This train it, it carried my sisters
(Here is a writer)
This train it, it carried my brother
(Here is a thinker)
This train is
This train is bound for glory
These are the questions
Stacked like wood
These are the answers
Here is potential
And it's gone for good
Lyrics submitted by aur0ra
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