Stop This Train – English Lyrics

• By: John Mayer
• Album: Where The Light Is

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into John Mayer's heartfelt ballad, "Stop This Train," a poignant exploration of aging and mortality. Through vivid imagery and emotional lyrics, Mayer captures the universal yearning to slow down time. Discover how this song uses the metaphor of a train to teach about the preciousness of the present and the importance of accepting life's journey, offering a unique lens for understanding complex emotions and personal growth.

[English]

No I'm not colorblind

I know the world is black and white

Try to keep an open mind but

I just can't sleep on this tonight

...

Stop this train

I wanna get off

And go home again

I can't take the speed

It's movin' in

I know I can't

But honestly

Won't someone stop this train?

...

Don't know how else to say it

Don't wanna see my parents go

...

One generation's length away

From fighting life out on my own

...

Stop this train

I wanna get off

And go home again

I can't take the speed

It's movin' in

I know I can't

But honestly

Won't someone stop this train?

...

So scared of getting older

...

I'm only good at being young

...

So I play the numbers game

To find a way to say that

Life has just begun

...

Had a talk with my old man

Said, "Help me understand"

He said, "Turn 68"

"You renegotiate"

"Don't stop this train"

"Don't for a minute change"

"The place you're in"

"And don't think I couldn't"

"Ever understand"

"I tried my hand"

"John, honestly"

"We'll never stop this train."

...

Once in a while

When its good

It'll feel like it should

And they're all still around

And you're still safe and sound

And you don't miss a thing

Till you cry when you're drivin' away in the dark

Singing

Stop this train

I wanna get off

And go home again

I can't take the speed

It's movin in

I know I can't

'Cause now I see

I'll never stop this train

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of connected railroad cars moved by a locomotive
stop /stɒp/ A1	verb - to cease moving or operating noun - a place where a vehicle regularly halts
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
speed /spiːd/ B1	noun - the rate at which someone or something moves
parents /ˈpeərənts/ A1	noun - a person's father or mother
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
generation /ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn/ B1	noun - all of the people born and living at about the same time
scared /skeərd/ A2	adjective - afraid; frightened
older /ˈoʊldər/ A1	adjective - having lived for a relatively long time
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - a form of play or sport
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist
minute /ˈmɪnɪt/ A1	noun - a unit of time equal to sixty seconds
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to
sound /saʊnd/ A2	adjective - in good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased noun - vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person's or animal's ear.

Key Grammar Structures

• I wanna get off

  ➔ Informal contraction of 'want to' (wanna).

  ➔ 'Wanna' is a colloquial way of saying 'want to', often used in spoken English.

• I can't take the speed

  ➔ Use of 'can't' to express inability or impossibility.

  ➔ 'Can't' is a contraction of 'cannot', used to express inability.

• It's movin' in

  ➔ Omission of the final 'g' in gerunds or continuous forms in informal speech.

  ➔ Omitting the final 'g' in 'moving' is common in casual speech to reflect spoken English.

• And go home again

  ➔ Use of 'go' to indicate direction or movement towards a place.

  ➔ 'Go' indicates movement towards a particular place, emphasizing the action of traveling.

• I'll never stop this train

  ➔ Use of 'will' (contraction 'I'll') to express future certainty or determination.

  ➔ 'Will' (contracted as 'I'll') indicates a future action with certainty or resolve.

• And you're still safe and sound

  ➔ Use of 'and' to connect clauses, indicating addition or continuation.

  ➔ 'And' is a conjunction used to connect words or phrases, often to add information.