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Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
This old engine makes it on time,
Leaves Central Station 'bout a quarter to nine,
Hits River Junction at seventeen to,
At a quarter to ten you know it's travelin' again.
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Trouble ahead, Lady in red,
Take my advice you'd be better off dead.
Switchman's sleeping, train hundred and two is
On the wrong track and headed for you.
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
Got two good eyes but you still don't see.
Come round the bend, you know it's the end,
The fireman screams and the engine just gleams
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
This old engine makes it on time,
Leaves Central Station 'bout a quarter to nine,
Hits River Junction at seventeen to,
At a quarter to ten you know it's travelin' again.
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Trouble ahead, Lady in red,
Take my advice you'd be better off dead.
Switchman's sleeping, train hundred and two is
On the wrong track and headed for you.
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
Got two good eyes but you still don't see.
Come round the bend, you know it's the end,
The fireman screams and the engine just gleams
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"Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
Got two good eyes but you still don't see."
This is the key line. When one is caught up in the moment, high on coke, or obsessed with work or career, we are tunnel visioned. Nothing else matters and all other concerns fall by the wayside and it is often far too late when we awake to see that disaster in immanent.
The song is a warning to avoid extremes and to either seek balance or accept that your decisions will end with destruction.
I have no idea why so many people thing Hunters lyrics, are often about espousing drug. Hunter wrote many words, taking an honest look at drug use and many of those words are not encouraging. This is a great song. The music Jerry wrote for this is stunning, as always.
Driving that train - refers to casey jones the famous conductor in 1900
high on cocaine - not true but it can refer to going fast like a cannonball
casey jones you better watch your speed - he dude love to push the trains to their limit & he was the best there was
lady in red - the caboose of the other train he smashed to pieces
This song is about suicide. Or, rather, not having the good sense of knowing when to stop and causing something terrible to happen, because you no longer know that you care. IN some sense, it's a universal problem (trouble with you is the trouble with me) and only a matter of degree.
Lots of people from those who caused the financial collapse by pretending they were playing with monopoly money to BP execs and engineers and MMS inspectors come to mind. Or people that act like some of the people posting here. You have left a wake of destruction behind you (trouble behind) and threatening conditions ahead suggest more dead bodies to come (trouble ahead).
So, watch your speed.