Stop This Train John Mayer Analysis

Coming out of the suburbs of Fairfield, Connecticut, John Mayer charmed his listeners with his poignant lyrics, sweet melodies, and mellow grooves. Since the release of his successful debut album, Room for Squares, his clever songwriting has grown into breathtaking poetry. He demonstrated his ever evolving progress with the release of his fourth studio album, Continuum, in 2006. The album takes maturity as a theme throughout, with songs ranging from the politically charged “Waiting for the World to Change” to the heartbreaking and sultry sound of “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.” “Stop This Train,” also a song from John Mayer’s Continuum, speaks of the unpredictable ground between adolescence and adulthood. It was written during a time
His father advises, “Don’t for a minute change the place you’re in / Don’t think I couldn’t ever understand…John, honestly we’ll never stop this train” (23-26) The only thing we can really do is appreciate life’s train ride; because wherever it may take us, we’re all in it together. The lyric in “Stop This Train” somewhat reflects life’s timeline. At a younger, more naïve age we take for granted our family until we start aging and realizing that our time with them is, in fact, limited. In the song, Mayer goes from begging for someone to stop this train to accepting that he can’t so he might as well enjoy the ride. The song is about being forced to let go of things, and accepting these losses. It’s about the angst and unfamiliarity that comes with moving into unknown parts of life. The fact that no matter what, we can’t stop a day from turning into a week or a year from into turning into a decade, and the thought of this can seem a little intimidating and disheartening. As humans we only know what we’ve experienced, and the idea of having to readjust and move forward without any regard for personal desire can be downright terrifying. Growing up, children aren’t inclined to to miss a thing because they haven’t experienced the state of apprehension when they’re asked the inevitable question: What do you want to do with your life? “Once in a while when it’s good / It’ll feel lie it should / And they’re all still around / And you’re still safe and sound” (27-31). But as time progresses, the days when we were lulled into a false calm are gone and we realize we don’t miss what we have till it’s gone. “And you don’t miss a thing / ‘til you cry when you’re driving away in the dark”