Half of My Heart Is a Runaway Train
Runaway Heart: A Journey Through Lost Love
Lyrics
Writing you a letter at the bus stop, babe
Expressing a contemplative moment, writing a letter at a bus stop
I didn't wanna wake you up
Avoiding waking someone up, possibly to spare them from a difficult conversation
We could sit around and make each other cry
Suggesting a shared emotional experience that may lead to tears
You know it ain't love if you say it too much
Highlighting the idea that love is not genuine if expressed excessively
Oh I'm really just a stupid boy
Self-awareness of being perceived as foolish or naive
All I do is shrug and clean up nice
Indifference and a willingness to present oneself well
I'm a fan of feathers on the river out there
Expressing admiration for natural beauty, possibly metaphorical
I'm a fan of summer and all that light
Preference for summertime and light, suggesting positivity
Please don't tell me where you're gonna be
Desire for independence and a lack of interest in knowing someone's location
And I won't tell you everything I need
Reciprocal withholding of personal information
Half of my heart is a runaway train
Half of the speaker's heart is described as a runaway train, symbolizing unpredictability or lack of control
Half of my heart is a bridge stake
The other half is compared to a bridge stake, possibly suggesting stability or grounding
Half of my heart is a runaway train
Reiteration of the runaway train metaphor for a portion of the speaker's emotions
Half of my heart is a cliff face
Comparing another part of the heart to a cliff face, hinting at danger or risk
I like to go drinking at the VFW
Enjoying drinking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in a distant city
In a city miles from the one I'm from
Feeling disconnected from the speaker's hometown
Fill my coat with these bedrock stones
Filling a coat with bedrock stones, possibly carrying burdens
Suck my knuckles when the night's no fun
Physical expression of frustration or discontent during difficult nights
Gotta call you bout this weather, babe
Expressing a need to talk about the weather, potentially a metaphor for personal storms
I been sleeping in tobacco barns
Sleeping in tobacco barns, suggesting unconventional living situations
Hung the word STAY from the Mendocino sky
Hanging the word "STAY" in the sky but acknowledging it wasn't effective
But it wasn't you, it wasn't you, you swore
Clarifying that a previous experience wasn't the person's fault
Please don't tell me where you're gonna be
Reiteration of the desire for independence and lack of interest in someone's location
And I won't tell you everything I need
Continued reciprocal withholding of personal information
Half of my heart is a runaway train
Repetition of the runaway train metaphor for emotional turbulence
Half of my heart is a bridge stake
Repetition of the bridge stake metaphor for stability or grounding
Half of my heart is a runaway train
Repetition of the runaway train metaphor for emotional unpredictability
Half of my heart is a cliff face
Repetition of the cliff face metaphor for danger or risk
Sometimes the best way out of the rain
Suggesting that going back is the best way to escape difficulties
Is straight back down
Metaphorically going down into the river as a means of escape
In the river
Further emphasizing the river as an escape from problems
The best way out of the rain
Reiteration of the idea that going down into the river is the best escape from rain
Is straight back down
Repetition of the concept of descending into the river to avoid difficulties
In the river
Repetition of the idea that descending into the river is a solution to escape rain
Sometimes the best way out of the rain is straight back down
Reiteration of the theme that going down into the river is the best way to avoid rain
Half of my heart is a runaway train
Repetition of the runaway train metaphor for emotional turmoil
Half of my heart is a bridge stake
Repetition of the bridge stake metaphor for stability or grounding
Half of my heart is a runaway train
Repetition of the runaway train metaphor for emotional unpredictability
Half of my heart is a cliff face
Repetition of the cliff face metaphor for danger or risk
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