Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Peter Hammill
Canonical path: /peter-hammill/traintime
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Traintime
Read Traintime lyrics by Peter Hammill on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Traintime
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Along the tracks the wires are humming
in bursts of code like far-off drums....
Fathering the message:
further up the line
someone's shouting
down the passage of time.
The corridor restrains the window,
no view without the eye within....
bold upon the threshold
but holding on the line
we're shouting
down the passage of time.
Relatives speak on the phone, on the train,
talking before they have thought to explain;
voices pitched wildly on tracks in the night
can't pick the pace up
oh let there be light!
How light becomes the soul!
You know yourself the centre of attention,
you see yourself the locus of event....
I'm sorry if it's painful quarrying the lime,
stage centre, shouting down
the passage of time.
The corridor retains its shadows,
its secrets compartmentalised....
damping down on ambience,
clamp the teeth and grind,
shouting down the passage of time!
What's there to see or make clear?
What's there to know
when the voice is right here?
What's there to promise or vow?
What's to believe, when the time is right now?
Relatives spoke on the phone, on the train,
talking before they had sought to refrain;
voices projected, spears in mid-flight
frozen forever.... oh let there be light!
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Traintime"?
Peter Hammill performs "Traintime", and this lyric page sits inside the Peter Hammill catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Traintime"?
Yes. The related section below points to The Institute Of Mental Health, Burning and A Headlong Stretch: iii. The Twelve with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Peter Hammill?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Peter Hammill's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Traintime yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.