Although I first heard the phrase Whistle Stop in a poetry class in 2004, it took me two years to really understand its meaning and write the song that did it justice. In the years to follow, I’ve recorded many versions but here now, in 2011, I’m proud to bring a recording to the table the stands bold and does not whisper softly the things that it wants loudly to be.
Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Whistle Stop, track #4 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.
WHISTLE STOP
by tyler stenson © 2006
It’s the end of the line-
Your train rolled through the time
And now all your Graces
And your Legacies stand.
Don’t whisper softly the things
That you want loudly to be
-Be like a wave.
-Leave impressions on the sand.
Because that whistle stop is coming strong
And big machines are hard to stop.
So, I’ll leave behind use-to-be’s
And in that horizon, we’ll leave to the dirt roads
Regret and Disdain.
Every sun is going to fade
But in the morning rays
I hear a songbird singing your name.
Where it stops I can’t say
But those warm summer days
Roll by like cars on a train.
And people everywhere are looking back,
Crying on their hands
And on their knees
Because it’s the end of the line.
Your train rolled through the time
So I’ll say Goodbye to the people you know.
Don’t whisper softly the things
That you want loudly to be-
My, how your legacy glows!
That whistle stop is coming strong-
It shows no signs of slowing down for this town.
That whistle stop is coming strong
And big machines are hard to stop.
THERE ARE MANY VERSIONS OF THIS SONG:
Orange Chrome Sky (2006)
See That Gleam (2008)
Another Gleam (2011)