Stop This Train

Stop This Train is the seventh track on John Mayers 2006 album "Continuum". Arguably one of his most emotionally raw songs, Mayer sings of his fears of impending mortality, growing older, and the never stopping march of life, comparing life to being on a train that you cannot stop. In the end, he finally accepts that he'll never be able to stop the train, and has to move on. It's notable that the guitar throughout the song is made to resemble the sound that a train makes, giving the listener the feeling that they too are on the moving train. As of August 2019, the song has ~51,000,000 plays on the streaming service Spotify.

[Verse 1] No, I'm not color blind I know the world is black and white I try to keep an open mind But, I just can't sleep on this tonight [Chorus] Stop this train I want to get off and go home again I can't take the speed it's moving in I know I can't But honestly, won't someone stop this train? [Verse 2] Don't know how else to say it Don't want to see my parents go One generation's length away From fighting life out on my own [Chorus] Stop this train I want to get off and go home again I can't take the speed it's moving in I know I can't But honestly, won't someone stop this train? [Piano Interlude] [Verse 3] 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 [Bridge 1] Had a talk with my old man Said, "Help me understand" He said, "Turn 68, you'll renegotiate" [Chorus] "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" [Bridge 2] Once in a while, when it's good It'll feel like it should And they're all still around And they're still safe and sound And you don't miss a thing 'Til you cry when you're driving away in the dark [Chorus] Singing, "Stop this train I want to get off and go home again I can't take the speed it's moving in I know I can't 'Cause, now, I see, I'll never stop this train"