lyrics
When this song came out earlier this year I took it as commentary on a way of doing business that's reckless, unsustainable.
I didn't realize it then, but it wasn't commentary -- it's current events...
Everyone knew she was gonna be fast
Everyone said they could build her to last
Ten thousand tons of hurtlin' steel
Screamin' round the curves, nobody at the wheel
Everyone said, "Don’t pay it any mind,
There’s a pot of gold waitin' at the end of the line.
Just move with the eye of the hurricane,
You’ll never get off this runaway train."
Nobody cared when they piled on board
And the doors snapped shut and the engines roared
They pushed to the front, they fell to the back
Buyin' and sellin' every inch of the track
Deep in the engines, fire in the hole
Dark-skinned workers shovelin' coal
All singin' their sad refrain
"We’ll never get off this runaway train"...
Up in the diner everybody decked
Out in their finery, can’t see the wreck
Comin' up ahead with their bellies full of wine
It’s the last thing going through their minds
Proud of the engine, proud of the speed
Call for the porter give them everything they need
Stare through the glass, feel no pain
Don’t even know they’re on a runaway train
Long after midnight a pitiful few
Sound the alarm, don’t know what else to do
Bangin' on the doors of the cabin and crew
We gotta slow down or we won’t make it through
Sleepy riders don’t want to wake, or
Suffer the shock when they put on the brake
Don’t want to question, don’t want to complain
Rather keep ridin' on this runaway train
-Eliza Gilkyson
I didn't realize it then, but it wasn't commentary -- it's current events...
Everyone knew she was gonna be fast
Everyone said they could build her to last
Ten thousand tons of hurtlin' steel
Screamin' round the curves, nobody at the wheel
Everyone said, "Don’t pay it any mind,
There’s a pot of gold waitin' at the end of the line.
Just move with the eye of the hurricane,
You’ll never get off this runaway train."
Nobody cared when they piled on board
And the doors snapped shut and the engines roared
They pushed to the front, they fell to the back
Buyin' and sellin' every inch of the track
Deep in the engines, fire in the hole
Dark-skinned workers shovelin' coal
All singin' their sad refrain
"We’ll never get off this runaway train"...
Up in the diner everybody decked
Out in their finery, can’t see the wreck
Comin' up ahead with their bellies full of wine
It’s the last thing going through their minds
Proud of the engine, proud of the speed
Call for the porter give them everything they need
Stare through the glass, feel no pain
Don’t even know they’re on a runaway train
Long after midnight a pitiful few
Sound the alarm, don’t know what else to do
Bangin' on the doors of the cabin and crew
We gotta slow down or we won’t make it through
Sleepy riders don’t want to wake, or
Suffer the shock when they put on the brake
Don’t want to question, don’t want to complain
Rather keep ridin' on this runaway train
-Eliza Gilkyson
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