Early morn, train station, aching from the arthritis
This war veteran knows what a hard time is
He needs his pension, dementia and half blind is
The reason he rides the train with no car license
So he boards with an expired ticket has a swipe
Gets a fine cos the change he got don't add up right
We're taking about a man who never lived a lavish life
Caught up in the age of computer chips and satellites
A lovely lady boards looking tired and half awake
He smiles, she's reminds him of his wife that past away
She says something as she walks right past his way
His old hearing aid don't last quite half the day
Some young gentlemen alive with their laughter
Approach the old timer and put a knife to his heart to
Explain that money or bloods the price of their barter
To a man whose friends probably died for their fathers

[Chorus:]
Whatever it takes can justify
Whatever ends we make, whatever the price
To the end of a life, it?s just an observation
So take a ride we?re stopping all stations

It's been a long night the suns lifting on a cold
Morning but she's drugged and drunk tripping on her stroll
On the way home, she's done with stripping on a pole
But she can't pay for her son living on the dole
Jumps a train puts on her gloves she's wearing black
Being watched by some old mug she's glaring back
She's on edge and got the bug from sharing smack
So she says, Hey, what the fuck you staring at??
He smiles, an unsteady hand rubs on his dome
She takes a seat, a messy band of ruffs board alone
To the digger with a machete at his lungs and he's prone
He can barely stand but ready to stand up for his own
She tries to help him she doesn't choose to flee the car
And catches a blow with enough bruise to leave a scar
She starts fainting, the rooms moving and seeing stars
Ain't it amazing how courageous human beings are?

[Chorus:]

He knows nothing but toil, strife and hard yakka
Pissed at the world for playing wife in a slammer
This man was never given a life on a damn platter
So he jumps a train with knife and bandanna
Boys at his back, sleazy, hardened and far
From giving a fuck, an easy target his mark
He sees an old man and says "See we'll part with your hard
Earned cash or rest in peace we can start with your heart"
Some girl steps not afraid she's gonna cop it sweet
And gets decked before she made it even on her feet
The old man leaped to her aid and to his horror he'd
Thrusted his chest into the blade of his robbers piece
He grabbed the wallet, dropped the knife as he fled the car
Concerned about the loss of life he'd never went this far
What's done is done, he'd got the prize and he'd spent his half
Of two dollars in change and a pension card

[Chorus:]


Lyrics submitted by Matty

Stopping All Stations Lyrics as written by Barry Francis Matthew Lambert

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Stopping All Stations song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    possibly the best song lyrically on this album. I just love the way its told from different perspectives. great song..great album

    sublincuvanaon April 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah this is definately a lyrical masterpiece... Such a sad story told from the 3 different people of how the old man gets stabbed in the end.. all for 2 dollars and and a pension card....

    Also love it at the start how its got the Adelaide train station voice... Representing Adelaide!

    Mattyon April 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    one of the most original and fresh lyrics i have heard for the last 5 years from any artist, these guys just keep getting better and better who knows where they can go from this, I know i will be there when the next album is released.

    Resinon May 25, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm a relatively new fan to Hilltop Hoods, having only recently set the dial to Triple J. But now "Stopping All Stations" is my favourite song. Can't get enough of it. I love the entire meaning of the song. Really sad though. Should have done better on the Top 100 that 54 (or something). Scary how accurately it portrays life like that though.

    park11on March 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I LOVE HILLTOP!! hahaha fuckin geniuses!

    nigi1digi1on June 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the words are brilliant! i did a year 11 school text analyst on the lyrics, i did it in the same way a poem is analyzed brilliant, the 3 ways the story is told. keep it up

    satanwatchmedieon July 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    love it at the begininning "the next train to adelaide ill depart from platform 1, stopping all stations" YEAH radelaide represent!!

    hoods r fucking grand :D got such a way with words

    ilovehoratioon March 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    I think that what the writers meant to portray with this song was the relations between different generations in our society today and also the difference between living today and 50 years ago. All of these people seem to have tough lives but the different people's way of handling their problems are very different. Even if we seem tot hink we are smarter and things today, in reality we are going back to our "default settings" more and more, accepting al sorts of things and our society. People are ruder and care less about their people around them when they want to make themselves feel better, totally walking over everyone else, in the end finding themselves with only gaining 2 dollars and a pension card.

    The old man might actually represent ourselves and the rest of the story our fear for the future. We are scared to be blind and deaf to what is waiting for us, not being able to tell what is approaching us until it is too alte and we are stuck in the chest by a person who doesnt care about us.

    awkwardsilence93on March 12, 2010   Link

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