John Denver：Meaning of Daddy, What's A Train? Songmeaning

The song "Daddy, What's A Train?" by John Denver tells the story of a father trying to explain the concept and significance of trains to his children. The father reminisces about his own childhood experiences with trains and how they have changed over time. In the first verse, the children ask their father about trains and wonder if they can ride on them. They question if trains carry both adults and children, and if they are bigger than their house. The father finds it challenging to explain what a train is and what it represents to his kids. The second verse reflects the father's own memories as a boy living near the train tracks. He describes how he and his friends used to collect coal in bags when they heard the train approaching. They would enjoy watching the train pass by, waving at the friendly engineer and covering their ears from the loud whistle. The father recalls the excitement of counting the train cars and the sound of the steam engines. As the song continues, the father reflects on how times have changed and how children today seem disconnected from certain aspects of life, such as understanding where everyday items like milk come from. The father contrasts his own childhood experience of memorizing the names of different railroad cars with his son's knowledge of baseball stars. He mentions various train names, emphasizing that they are fading memories from the past. In the final verse, the father and his children go to a train depot hoping to see a train, but they find it deserted. The father acknowledges that trains are a distant part of his own memories, but they still hold deep meaning to him. He reveals his childhood ambition of becoming a train engineer, symbolizing his strong connection and nostalgia for trains. Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing for the simplicity and wonder of trains in the past. It highlights the father's desire to pass on his appreciation for trains to his children, even though trains have become less prevalent and significant in modern times.