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Stopping All Stations Lyrics

"The next train to Adelaide will depart from platform 1, stopping all stations"

Verse 1– Pressure

Early morn, train station, aching from the arthritis,
This war veteran knows what a hard time is,
He needs his pension, dementia and half blind is,
The reason he rides the train with no car license,
So he boards with an expired ticket has a swipe,
Gets a fine cos the change he got don’t add up right,
We’re taking about a man who never lived a lavish life,
Caught up in the age of computer chips and satellites,

A lovely lady boards looking tired and half awake,
He smiles, she’s reminds him of his wife that past away,
She says something as she walks right past his way,
His old hearing aid don’t last quite half the day,

Some young gentlemen alive with their laughter,
Approach the old timer and put a knife to his heart to,
Explain that money or bloods the price of their barter,
To a man whose friends probably died for their fathers.

Chorus

*Mixing*
Whatever it takes can justify,
Whatever ends we make, whatever the price,
To the end of a life, it’s just an observation,
So take a ride we’re stopping all stations.

Verse 2 – Pressure

It’s been a long night the suns lifting on a cold,
Morning but she’s drugged and drunk tripping on her stroll,
On the way home, she’s done with stripping on a pole,
But she can’t pay for her son living on the dole,
Jumps a train puts on her gloves she’s wearing black,
Being watched by some old mug she’s glaring back,
She’s on edge and got the bug from sharing smack,
So she says, “Hey, what the fuck you staring at?”

He smiles, an unsteady hand rubs on his dome,
She takes a seat, a messy band of ruffs board alone,
To the digger with a machete at his lungs and he’s prone,
He can barely stand but ready to stand up for his own,

She tries to help him she doesn’t choose to flee the car,
And catches a blow with enough bruise to leave a scar,
She starts fainting, the rooms moving and seeing stars,
Aint it amazing how courageous human beings are?

Chorus

*Mixing*
Whatever it takes can justify,
Whatever ends we make, whatever the price,
To the end of a life, it’s just an observation,
So take a ride we’re stopping all stations.

Verse 3 – Pressure

He knows nothing but toil, strife and hard yakka,
Pissed at the world for playing wife in a slammer,
This man was never given a life on a damn platter,
So he jumps a train with knife and bandanna,

Boys at his back, sleazy, hardened and far,
From giving a fuck, an easy target his mark,
He sees an old man and says “See we’ll part with your hard,
Earned cash or rest in peace we can start with your heart.”

Some girl steps not afraid she’s gonna cop it sweet,
And gets decked before she made it even on her feet,
The old man leaped to her aid and to his horror he’d,
Thrusted his chest into the blade of his robber's piece,

He grabbed the wallet, dropped the knife as he fled the car,
Concerned about the loss of life he’d never went this far,
What’s done is done, he’d got the prize and he’d spent his half,
Of two dollars in change and a pension card.

So take a ride, cos we stopping all stations...
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Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

possibly the best song lyrically on this album. I just love the way its told from different perspectives. great song..great album

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

Yeah this is definately a lyrical masterpiece... Such a sad story told from the 3 different people of how the old man gets stabbed in the end.. all for 2 dollars and and a pension card....

Also love it at the start how its got the Adelaide train station voice... Representing Adelaide!

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

one of the most original and fresh lyrics i have heard for the last 5 years from any artist, these guys just keep getting better and better who knows where they can go from this, I know i will be there when the next album is released.

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

I'm a relatively new fan to Hilltop Hoods, having only recently set the dial to Triple J. But now "Stopping All Stations" is my favourite song. Can't get enough of it. I love the entire meaning of the song. Really sad though. Should have done better on the Top 100 that 54 (or something). Scary how accurately it portrays life like that though.

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

I LOVE HILLTOP!! hahaha fuckin geniuses!

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

the words are brilliant! i did a year 11 school text analyst on the lyrics, i did it in the same way a poem is analyzed brilliant, the 3 ways the story is told. keep it up

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

love it at the begininning "the next train to adelaide ill depart from platform 1, stopping all stations" YEAH radelaide represent!!

hoods r fucking grand :D got such a way with words

Cover art for Stopping All Stations lyrics by Hilltop Hoods

I think that what the writers meant to portray with this song was the relations between different generations in our society today and also the difference between living today and 50 years ago. All of these people seem to have tough lives but the different people's way of handling their problems are very different. Even if we seem tot hink we are smarter and things today, in reality we are going back to our "default settings" more and more, accepting al sorts of things and our society. People are ruder and care less about their people around them when they want to make themselves feel better, totally walking over everyone else, in the end finding themselves with only gaining 2 dollars and a pension card.

The old man might actually represent ourselves and the rest of the story our fear for the future. We are scared to be blind and deaf to what is waiting for us, not being able to tell what is approaching us until it is too alte and we are stuck in the chest by a person who doesnt care about us.

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