First Train Home - Imogen Heap

I went to see Imogen Heap in Liverpool during her England tour last year, with my boyfriend @mrbenopolis. She is absolutely amazing, and incredibly talented. Continuing my theme of songs related to trains, I hope you enjoy First Train Home. It is her first single from the album Ellipse.

 

During an interview, Imogen revealed her inspiration for the song. She claimed:

"I was trying to project manage my studio, and the house and moving in never having done anything like that before is EXTREMELY stressful. [...] I was so stressed out. So my friend rang me up and said “I never see you anymore, why don’t you come down, you’re not making the record yet – come down”. So I went down to Brighton and all the way on the train I was making phone calls, and I wanted to just be back home working on it. [...] So we went out this festival – it was good – but being around music made me even more jittery like I should be doing more and getting home. I didn’t really have a good night really. I was trying so hard to be into the night and they were all nice people and everything but I just wasn’t into it, but I just couldn’t escape and I couldn’t get home and it was too late and lived three hours away. So I was stuck [...] Literally, you just want to scream and slap everyone around (not really slapping everyone around - joking), but you know you just don’t want to be there. Panic attack set in. Cold sweats. And I just wanted to get on the first train home basically. I did eventually – got the first train home, stayed up all night and wrote the song on the piano at home really quickly. What’s lovely about it is that I recorded the song in the studio which is directly underneath the dining room where the piano is. And then yesterday [says very excitedly], I filmed the video for it which is where I wrote the song!"

 Lyrics

 Got to get on it
Got to get on it.
Got to get on it.

Bodies disengaged,
our mouths are fleshing over.
(over, over, over)
Is this an echo game?
Irises retreating to ovals of white.

The urge to feel your face,
and blood rushing to paint
my hand print.
A Frisbee one by one;
you're vinyl on laminate,
just prefer some kind of contact.

First train home, I've got to get on it.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
To Catch, to catch, catch-catch, catch.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
First Train home

Da-n-da deyo deyo da deyo
Da-n-da deyo deyo da deyy

Temporal dead-zone, where clocks are barely breathing
(breathing, breathing, breathing)
yet no one cares to notice for all the yelling,
all night clamor to hold it together.

I want to play--don't wait--
forms in the hideaway
I want to get on with getting on with things
I want to run in fields,
paint the kitchen, and love someone
And I can't do any of that here, can I?

First train home, I've got to get on it.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
First train home, I've got to get on it.
First Train home.

So what? You've had one too many.
So what? I'm not that much fun to be with.
So what? You've come silly Hatter.
So what? I didn't want to come here, anyway.

What matters you,
doesn't matter, matter to me.
What matters to me,
doesn't matter, matter to you.
What matters to you,
doesn't matter, matter to them.
What matters to them,
doesn't change anything.

Got to get on it.
First train home.
Got to get on it.
First train home.

First train home
I've got to get on it
(I've got to get on it)
To catch, to catch, catch-catch, catch.
(First train home)
First train home
I've got to get on it
First train home.
(First train home)
Got to, Got to, Got to, Got to, Get, Get, Get, Get, Out, Out, Out, Out, Now, Now, Now, Now.