Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: punk
Song Meaning of “A Little Boy Named Train” by Green Day
A Little Boy Named Train paints a vivid picture of a child’s imagination and his unfettered ability to dream. Through lyrical imagery, Green Day takes us into a journey through the eyes of a young boy who finds beauty in the mundane. He travels on a “Train” of dreams and desires, away from reality. A youthful innocence permeates throughout the song with references to a “circus guitar,” a “machine gun violin,” a “kite that flies in the rain,” and a “thousand stars singing can’t explain.”
In the chorus, the young boy is determined to keep his dreams within arm’s reach: “Momma said don’t let go / Papa said just let it show / Little boy named train, never let it go.” This resounding chorus speaks to the power of not letting go of hopes and aspirations, despite what life may throw at you.
An overarching theme of the song is to keep dreaming and to never let go of your youthful spirit. While time passes and we all grow up, we should never forget what it’s like to dream, or what it’s like to “ride on a little boy named train.”