In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
She was beautiful as southern skies the night he met her
She was married to someone
He was doggedly determined that he would get her
He was old she was young
From time to time
He'd tip his heart
But each time she withdrew
Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true
Well eventually the boy and the girl get married
Sure enough they have a son
And though they were both occupied with the child she carried
Disagreements had begun
And in a while
They fell apart
It wasn't hard to do
Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true
Two disappointed believers
Two people playing the game
Negotiations and love songs
Are often mistaken for one and the same
Now the man and the woman they remain in contact
Let us say it's for the child
With disagreements about the meaning of a marriage contract
Conversations hard and wild
But from time to time he makes her laugh
She cooks a meal of two
Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true
What is the point of this story
What information pertains
The thought that life could be better
Is woven indelibly
Into our hearts and our brains
She was married to someone
He was doggedly determined that he would get her
He was old she was young
From time to time
He'd tip his heart
But each time she withdrew
Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true
Well eventually the boy and the girl get married
Sure enough they have a son
And though they were both occupied with the child she carried
Disagreements had begun
And in a while
They fell apart
It wasn't hard to do
Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true
Two disappointed believers
Two people playing the game
Negotiations and love songs
Are often mistaken for one and the same
Now the man and the woman they remain in contact
Let us say it's for the child
With disagreements about the meaning of a marriage contract
Conversations hard and wild
But from time to time he makes her laugh
She cooks a meal of two
Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true
What is the point of this story
What information pertains
The thought that life could be better
Is woven indelibly
Into our hearts and our brains
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I think the song is about the fact that often our dreams and expectations beats real life. "The sound of a train in the distance" is the thought of something that may happen in the future, it represents a hope of something new and different. The couple described in the song is an example of this, when they first met they thougt that together they could create a wonderful life but it proved that what actually happened did not correspond to their dreams. Ohlala a bit depressing
@antionette <br /> I think you are quite right about the meaning of this beautiful song. I also love the way you expressed your thoughts.<br /> The song is beautiful and wistful. It stays with a person long after you listen to it. It seems to be true that everyone does love the sound of a train in the distance. Somehow that sound pulls at the heart. Its somewhat paradoxical that the sound of a modern invention can have such a beautiful, haunting quality. <br /> Well, that is life, beautiful, haunting, painful, paradoxical. No one wants to let go of it even though it can be so very painful.. We hope that the beauty of it will return and continue.
I like antionette pretty much has it right, but I don't think the song is all that depressing in the end. Even though things don't necessarily work out in the lyrics, we still get the feeling that we do, in fact love the sound of the train in the distance, and still think and hope its true, even if past examples tell us it won't be that way.
it's about hope
Delicious
I would say that meaning of "the sound of the train in the distance" is defined in the lyric as "the thought that life could be better."
When you substitute the phrase into the chorus, you get:
Everybody loves the thought that life could be better. Everybody thinks it's true.
Which is really what the song is talking about. You live within the reality of your own life all the while looking into the future and thinking about how life would be if you could make it. As a child you might dream of your perfect wedding or what you will "be". As you get older you have the thoughts of what a perfect relationship might be even as you are in one that isn't quite perfect. You project yourself into the perfect home and family. People are often looking for what is going to happen instead of seeing the reality in front of them and accepting it and enjoying it for what it actually is - your life.
@EnochRoot1 - A very insightful comment. Thank you. It adds to my longtime appreciation of this song.
i'm confused by what the train could mean. does it mean, since the 2 people are apart, that the train shows that one of them is coming back to the person (to visit, or stay for awhile)? the last verse is very very good and means a lot.
i read that this song was about his first marriage to Peggy Harper, they had a son, Harper Simon
its about the hopes of having found true love, once, that fade away after a while, to later on come to the realisation that while reality may have changed all meanings of a relationship, you can make amends, you can still adjust and go along nicely the way that love turned finally out, into something more like a presence, that is in the distance and that's dear, somehow comforting at the same time, like a train in the distance. Something that may feel far gone or, feels like its coming back nearer just as well...
the song is about being in a relationship and thinking you can do better or being tempted by something better , eveyone likes the thought of a better relationship in the future, its implanted in our nature to think that way
One thing to point out is they do get on the train. The longing to travel into the unknown is behind them. And while the journey didn't meet expectations, it still had moments of satisfaction and fulfilment that made it worthwhile. And since it's engrained in our DNA to listen for trains to jump on, it's good to accept the fact that reality doesn't match fantasy...but take the trip anyway, and enjoy the ride.