Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: hardcore
Song Meaning of “Smiling at Strangers on Trains” by Million Dead
Smiling at Strangers on Trains, a song from Million Dead, is a reflection on human connection and our individual journeys in life. The narrator of the song is travelling across a faraway land on a train, and they take the time to notice the other individuals around them – strangers in a strange place. Though there is a sense of sadness and remoteness in the chorus (“my joy is gone and all that’s here is broken hearts, far from home”) there is still a subtle hope that exists when we are able to connect with others despite our differences and distance.
The narrator recognizes that each person in this train, though they may be unknown to one another, all share a common thread in that we are all journeying somewhere and that no one is alone in their experience. The song lyrically echoes this point as the narrator sings “smile at strangers on the train, a reminder in the passing locomotive how we all can be connected”.
Ultimately, this song speaks to the power of human connection, however brief it may be. It acknowledges the loneliness and sorrows present in life, but also encourages us that if we take the time to recognize each other, we may find the shared, inexplicable bonds that can transcend distances and boundaries.