500 Miles
Journey of Longing: Exploring the Depths of 500 Miles
Lyrics
Lord I'm one, Lord I'm two
Expressing the speaker's individuality and existence
Lord I'm three, Lord I'm four
Continuation of the speaker's self-awareness and identity
Lord I'm five hundred miles
Highlighting a significant distance – five hundred miles – away from home
Away from home
Emphasizing the physical separation from the speaker's home
If you miss the train I'm on
Suggesting the departure of the speaker via train
Then you will know that I am gone
Indicating that the absence of the speaker will become evident if the train is missed
You can hear the whistle blow
Referring to the audible signal of the departing train
Five hundred miles
Repetition of the distance – five hundred miles – underscoring the vast separation
Five hundred miles
-Five hundred miles
-Five hundred miles
-Five hundred miles
-You can hear the whistle blow
-Five hundred miles
-Not a shirt on my back
Describing the lack of basic necessities, emphasizing a difficult situation
Nor a penny to my name
Highlighting the speaker's impoverished state
Lord I can't go home this a way
Expressing the inability to return home under current circumstances
This a way, this a way,
Repetition emphasizing the difficulty in returning home
This a way, this a way
-Lord I can't go home this a way
-Five hundred miles
Reiteration of the extensive distance – five hundred miles – from the speaker's home
Five hundred miles
-Five hundred miles
-Five hundred miles
-Oh I'm five hundred miles
-Away from my home
Reaffirming the significant distance separating the speaker from home
If you miss the train I'm on
Reiteration of the impact of missing the train in recognizing the speaker's absence
Then you will know that I am gone
Confirmation of the speaker's departure
You can hear the whistle blow
Reference to the audible signal marking the journey's commencement
A hundred miles
Introducing a different distance – a hundred miles
Yes I'm one, yes I'm two
Confirmation of the speaker's individuality
Yes I'm three and I'm four
Continuation of the speaker's self-awareness
Lord I'm five hundred miles
Reiteration of the significant distance – five hundred miles – from home
Away from home
Reaffirmation of the physical separation from home
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