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One Engine Lyrics
One engine barely makes it away,
One engine barely makes it away.
Hold on, they're breaking their bonds,
Hold on, they're breaking their bonds,
One engine barely makes it away.
And the martyr line,
It's a bitter pill.
And the line of right,
It will barely make you feel.
I'd like to get you in some kind of way,
Some kind of trouble in some kind of way.
Bear down they'll run you aground,
Bear down they'll run you aground,
We all must suffer awhile in a way.
And the martyr line,
It's a bitter pill.
And the line of right,
It will barely make you feel,
Make you feel, barely make you feel.
Make you feel.
And the martyr line,
It's a bitter pill.
And the line of right,
It will barely make you feel,
Make you feel, barely make you feel.
Make you feel.
One engine, one engine,
One engine barely makes it away.
One engine barely makes it away.
Hold on, they're breaking their bonds,
Hold on, they're breaking their bonds,
One engine barely makes it away.
It's a bitter pill.
And the line of right,
It will barely make you feel.
Some kind of trouble in some kind of way.
Bear down they'll run you aground,
Bear down they'll run you aground,
We all must suffer awhile in a way.
It's a bitter pill.
And the line of right,
It will barely make you feel,
Make you feel, barely make you feel.
Make you feel.
It's a bitter pill.
And the line of right,
It will barely make you feel,
Make you feel, barely make you feel.
Make you feel.
One engine barely makes it away.
Song Info
Submitted by
switsea On Feb 13, 2012
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Colin Meloy re One Engine: "The Hunger Games people still wanted to include the band on the soundtrack, so I dug around for a song. I came up with this strange little thing called “One Engine.” I recorded it at home, just me and a drum machine. It sounded like dystopian chase music, which seemed fitting for the movie."
such a good song, cathcy tune as well
I don't know what this song is about, but as soon as I heard it, I immediately thought of The Great Locomotive Chase.
In 1862, a number of Union soldiers in disguise stole a Confederate train in Kennesaw, Georgia (hold on, they're breaking their bonds) and ran away with it (one engine barely makes it away). The conductor of the train pursued them, first on foot and handcar, then by train (bear down, they'll run you aground) for eighty miles until the stolen train finally ran out of fuel and the soldiers jumped out, only to be pursued and eventually captured, imprisoned (we all must suffer awhile in a way) and hung (the martyr line is a bitter pill).
The soldiers' goal was to destroy the train-track behind them, break the telegraph lines, burn the bridges and anything else they could to cripple the Confederacy (I'd like to get you in some kind of way). The line that separated the North from the South effectively turned brother on brother and made whoever was on the other side from you the enemy (and the line of right, it will barely make you feel).
As this song was apparently featured in The Hunger Games, which I have neither read nor seen, it probably has some other meaning within the context of that story-world, but me, personally, whenever I listen to the song, I see this crazy train-chase going through my head. :)
I think this is a song about a couple breaking up....barely making it through
I'm pretty sure it's "verily", not "barely". Not even Colin would pronounce "barely" like that.
And to me, it sounds more like "line of light" than "line of right", although I've no idea what that might mean.
I think this song refers to Katniss, in a way, as the "One engine barely makes it away" once she's in the Games.
And then, "Bear down, they'll run you aground/We all must suffer awhile in a way" refers to the Career tributes coming after her.