Title: “Train in the distance”
Format: Album track
Written by: Paul Simon
Performed by: Paul Simon
Genre: Pop
Taken from: Hearts and Bones
Year: 1983
Acclaim: n/a
There really is something about the sound of a train in the distance. It has that sort of idea of going new places, seeing new cities, travelling free and unfettered. Of course, it's a romantic notion: you're probably listening to the nightly coal train heading down from Newcastle or the cattle freight express bringing livestock from Montana, or any of a million ordinary trains packed with ordinary, bored or uncaring or sleeping commuters who couldn't really give a toss about the joys of being on a train and would rather be at home, but like listenign to the rain is relaxing while being out in it may not be, you can certainly ascribe certain feelings to the shunt and trundle of a train passing along the tracks. I used to live near a railway bridge and there is no doubt that the sound of night trains passing over from Fairview heading into the city, or the other way, was a sound that tended to lull me to sleep and set my mind dreaming.
Things I like about this :
1. The electric piano (is it) that carries most of the melody
2. The hummed chorus
3. The way the percussion makes the sound of a train engine. It's not the only song to do this, but it works very well here.
4. The fact that it's basically a love song with little real reference to trains, but still gives you the idea.
Things I don't like about this:
Nothing
Rating: 