This song was inspired by Bulat Okudzhava’s Blue Trolley, which I translated from the original Russian and reimagined with new lyrics. I’m a longtime admirer of Okudzhava’s work, and I’ve translated many of his songs into English. Here is a full page of songs of his that I translated to English.
For this particular song, I recommend listening with good headphones. The emotional weight comes through most deeply in the vocal delivery, which adds another layer to the story.
The narrative follows a protagonist who boards a midnight train after feeling emotionally shipwrecked from the events of his evening. As the journey unfolds, he finds quiet solace in the unspoken connection with other late-night travelers—fellow souls also adrift, yet finding comfort in shared silence.
Enjoy Similarly Melancholy Songs
Since this song has a particularly melancholy feel and sound, you might enjoy my collection of melancholy songs where I created a collection of songs made by me and a few very popular musicians from the past few decades.
Song Lyrics
VERSE 1
When I lose the strength
To bare all this pain.
When I feel despair coming on.
I leave on the last Am Last subway train.
Deep into the night.
I sail on the last Am The last subway train.
VERSE 2
Oh my late night train,
Sail through the streets
And carry me home after midnight
And pick up all those who were shipwrecked at night
Deep into the night.
VERSE 3
So many nights, you’ve opened your doors
To save me from drowning
And your passengers – sailors at night
Comfort each other.
VERSE 4
With them more than once, I’ve left troubles behind.
With them I’ve rubbed shoulders together.
Imagine the kindness we share in silence.
We’re silent in kindness.
VERSE 5
Oh my late night train, rock me to sleep.
And carry me like on a river.
And all of the pain, and all of the pain – starts easing – starts easing.
Enjoy More Songs With Poetic Lyrics
If you like songs with meaningful and poetic lyrics, here is a post with some of the best song lyrics of all time.
My Experience With This Song
This was the very first song I heard by Bulat Okudzhava. At first, I didn’t fully understand what it was about—but as I kept listening, the essence of this masterpiece slowly sank in.
Over time, I began to truly grasp and appreciate its depth. It was this song, along with others by Bulat Okudzhava, that inspired me to start writing my own poetry and music. In many ways, this song marked my first meaningful encounter with his work—and it left a lasting impression.
If you enjoyed this song and would like to explore more poetry and songs inspired by Bulat Okudzhava, I’ve created a unique poetry book that includes my original lyrics as well as English translations of some of his most moving songs. You can listen to the songs while reading the lyrics for an immersive experience.
Here is the link to the poetry book with songs so you can learn more about it.