Far Away

A simple, beautiful, and existential song about hope and hopelessness, and questioning the life you lead.

"Step in front of a runaway train, just to feel alive again."

The classic numbness felt by many in the darkest moments; some get purpose from taking risks, anything to replace no emotion with an emotion — even if that emotion is hurting. This is the wild west outlaw life, with nowhere else to turn they take on a criminal livelihood to feel a part of something.

• A runaway train won't stop because it's escaping something, no honour among thieves. By stepping in front of this you will quickly know if you want to continue or not in life because the train isn't stopping. You are forced to make a split second decision, this is the outlaw's decision every day.

• A train track is fixed in place, this is likely a metaphor for the path they have chosen and how they feel they cannot repent or change their ways.

"Pushing forward through the night, aching chest and blurry sight."

It does the individual no good living this way but they have no choice. They think they are pushing towards "something", but in the night there isn't an end in sight, or a destination, like the runaway train they are running away from themselves, the law, and the world all the time, sooner or later they'll run out of places to run to: the end of the line. Their days are numbered.

"It's so far, so far away"

What is far away? The audience is deliberately never told what it is, it's an open-ended statement. A gesture of longing for some fulfillment that is not tangible or describable, they don't know what they want. This is the paradigm for many, what is the purpose of all this?

"Who are you trying to impress, steadily creating a mess."

Addresses the human ego and the need to impress, this is ultimately an empty pursuit. What seems steady and reliable ultimately is just creating chaos, a "mess". They think their life has stability and purpose, but reality is chaos, entropy only increases.

(Aching chest and blurry sight X2)

The focus shifts back to what is real, the pain they feel, their body, that is all they can cling onto as opposed to being "Far Away". They feel a deep sense of detachment from reality, but the pain keeps them grounded.

This was so awesome to hear in Red Dead Redemption. I agree that not only was it perfect for the game, but a perfect description to what John Marston mission was. Red Dead Redemption is a good game, but hearing Jose Gonzalez on here was a good surprise and a great song.

You got the words wrong, its not "aching just to push aside" its "Aching chest and blurry sight"

This song is used in Red Dead Redemption when you enter Mexico. Pretty perfect for the game.