Train Ride Home

It's already a given fact that I write as my personal outlet (thus the reason for this blog). But once upon a time, I wrote poems and songs. When I was in high school, my best friend and I would doodle our ideas at the back of our seldomly-used notebook and then arrange it into a song of sorts. When we have time for it, we would compose its tune using her organ at her house.

Even during college, I continued writing songs. But since I'm more of a lyricist than a composer, I write songs but not even one of them has a tune.

Okay, there was one. When I was in first year in college, I had a huge crush on one of our classmates. So much that I even wrote a song for him, complete with its tune, all within a span of a week, during our semestral break. Fortunately, he was able to hear that song, with a little prodding from my friends. And to this day, I still treasure that song and keep it close to my heart. 

That was the last song that I wrote. Nothing ever followed since then. 

Until now.

One day, while I was waiting for the computer system in our office to get fixed, I passed my time by listening to Taylor Swift's newest album 'Speak Now.' I admire Taylor Swift in terms of her style in writing songs. Her songs were written in simple words that makes it easy to understand, and they were placed over a background of tunes fit for the mood of the song - be it hyper, sentimental, dark, among others.

Going back, that gave me an idea. I pulled out my notebook and started to doodle all the ideas that popped out of my head. Then lines and measures begin to follow, and not long after, I was writing a full song.

The song is, as usual, one without a tune, since I'm far away from my organ (or any musical instrument) when I was writing this. The song also has no rhyme (except for the first two lines), but it does have a measure (eight syllables at the verses, nine at the chorus). Basically, the song is inspired by my 'love story', which started with a 'train ride home.' (Yeah, romantic as I could ever be.)


Anyway, yes, the song is entitled 'Train Ride Home.'



Train Ride Home

I had it all but I screwed up
Punished until I'm broken up
All that's left of me is nothin'
And the ties were all but broken

So I turned away, ran away
Crying and sobbing as I say,
"I'll never commit more mistakes
I'll stay away, won't trust again."

And so here I am and standing
I'm so scared in this strange new world
I knew no one, talked to no one
I wondered how will I survive

Then I saw you on my train ride home
I've seen you before, where's that again?
Yes, you and I were at the same class
We're both fresh grads, we're from the same school
How come you take the same ride home?
Do we drop off the same train station?
So many things to ask, but for now
Can we talk a while, if you don't mind?

And then you stood right next to me
You said hi and I said hello
Then you asked, 'Where do you drop off?'
It turns out, we both drop off there

Fast forward, a few weeks later
The prof says 'Goodbye, 'till next time'
We bid goodbye to our classmates
And walked our way to the train stop

Now we're both on the same train ride home
You tell jokes, I laugh 'till my sides hurt
We talked until we have to go down
We looked at each other and then sighed
Now we're both on the same train ride home
Got to drop off the same train station
So many things to ask, but for now
Can you walk me home, if you don't mind?

Suddenly, I feel my heart beat
Then I smiled, but then I felt sad
'Cause I said I won't trust again
I'm afraid I'm falling for you...

Until one day you called me up
You said you're gonna pick me up
Then you're standing by my doorway
You smile while you're holding a bouquet

And you said,

It started on the same train ride home
We talked and laughed 'till our sides hurt
And then I felt for the first time ever
Someone accepts me for who I am
Each time we take the same train ride home
I wish that this ride would never stop
So many things to wish, but for now
Would you be my girl, if you don't mind?

And so here I am, I'm standing
Standing brave in this strange new world
I'm ready to take anything
'Cause I know I'm never alone