“Stop This Train” is a song by John Mayer that captures the anxiety of a younger adult as they look forward in life. The opening lyric “no I’m not colorblind / I know the world is black and white” alludes to the naivety of the narrator, and with that, his young age as well. He feels that he lives in a world of right and wrong, with no grey areas. Despite his confidence in the world, he feels as though life is moving too quickly. “Stop this train,” he says, “I want to get off and go home again / I can’t take the speed it’s moving in.” The narrator is overwhelmed by the speed and process of growing up, wishing he could find life’s pause button and stop moving forward into a world of increased responsibility. Further, the narrator expresses his anxiety about seeing his parents grow older: “don’t know how else to say it / I don’t want to see my parents go.” He feels vulnerable, realizing that he is “one generation’s length away / from fighting life out on [his] own.” This train that is moving him perpetually forward is also carrying his parents, and he realizes that, some day soon, they will be leaving him behind to fend for himself. The narrator is “so scared of getting older,” because he’s “only good at being young.” His anxiety over the quick pace that life is moving forward inspires him to speak with his father for comfort and guidance. “Turn sixty-eight,” his dad replies, “you’ll renegotiate . . . don’t for a minute change the place you’re in.” In his older age, his father has come to terms with the uncontrollable passage of time, choosing to embrace the present and welcome the future. His father’s understanding stems from his own experiences. “. . . don’t think I couldn’t ever understand / I tried my hand . . . we’ll never stop this train,” says his father. It is evident that the anxiety felt by the narrator was once felt by his father as well, and that as he got older he was able to come to terms with life and it’s stubborn forwards path. Despite his father’s advice, the narrator continues his plea to “stop this train”: his anxiety about growing older is more than any advice from his father can fix.
“Stop This Train” is a song by John Mayer that captures the anxiety of a younger adult as they look forward in life. The opening lyric “no I’m not colorblind / I know the world is black and white” alludes to the naivety of the narrator, and with that, his young age as well. He feels that he lives in a world of right and wrong, with no grey areas. Despite his confidence in the world, he feels as though life is moving too quickly. “Stop this train,” he says, “I want to get off and go home again / I can’t take the speed it’s moving in.” The narrator is overwhelmed by the speed and process of growing up, wishing he could find life’s pause button and stop moving forward into a world of increased responsibility. Further, the narrator expresses his anxiety about seeing his parents grow older: “don’t know how else to say it / I don’t want to see my parents go.” He feels vulnerable, realizing that he is “one generation’s length away / from fighting life out on [his] own.” This train that is moving him perpetually forward is also carrying his parents, and he realizes that, some day soon, they will be leaving him behind to fend for himself. The narrator is “so scared of getting older,” because he’s “only good at being young.” His anxiety over the quick pace that life is moving forward inspires him to speak with his father for comfort and guidance. “Turn sixty-eight,” his dad replies, “you’ll renegotiate . . . don’t for a minute change the place you’re in.” In his older age, his father has come to terms with the uncontrollable passage of time, choosing to embrace the present and welcome the future. His father’s understanding stems from his own experiences. “. . . don’t think I couldn’t ever understand / I tried my hand . . . we’ll never stop this train,” says his father. It is evident that the anxiety felt by the narrator was once felt by his father as well, and that as he got older he was able to come to terms with life and it’s stubborn forwards path. Despite his father’s advice, the narrator continues his plea to “stop this train”: his anxiety about growing older is more than any advice from his father can fix.