Cat Stevens Songs - Peace Train Lyrics

Cat Stevens - Peace Train

Cat Stevens - Peace Train Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Teaser And The Firecat
Released: 1971

Peace Train Lyrics

Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Something good's bound to come

For out on the edge of darkness
There runs the Peace Train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train
Peace train's a holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
This is the peace train

Get your bags together
Come bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
Soon it will be with you
Come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train

I've been crying lately
Thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?

For out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Peace train take this country
Come take me home again

Peace train sounding louder
Ride on the peace train
Hoo-ah-eeh-ah-hoo-ah
Come on the peace train

Come on, come on, come on the peace train

Writer/s: YUSUF ISLAM, CAT STEVENS
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Peace Train Song Chart

When he appeared on The Chris Isaak Hour in 2009, Stevens said of this song: "Musically, I was revisiting a very Greek-sounding riff - the kind of thing you'd hear on a Greek island. The words were attached to that time, my peace anthem. It ended every show that I did and was quite a show stopper. It was a very important song for me because it stated one of the big goals of my life which was heading straight for that peace."

This was Stevens' first US Top-10 hit. It was not released as a single outside of America because Stevens' European label, Island, wanted to encourage people to buy the albums rather than the 45s.

This became a hippie anthem, and was often used by protesters to spread a message of peace.

In 1987, 10,000 Maniacs covered this, but the song was dropped from future copies of their In My Tribe album in 1989 after Stevens, who had changed his name to Yusuf Islam, condoned the death wish on Salmon Rushdie for defaming the Prophet in his book The Satanic Verses.

In 2003, Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, re-recorded this for a compilation album called Hope, which was a benefit for children in Iraq. It was his first English language recording since 1978. The US and Britain had invaded Iraq, which was perceived by many to be an attack on Muslims. Stevens explained: "As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to the call for a peaceful solution to the dangerous path some world leaders today seem to be taking."

In 2010, John Stewart and Stephen Colbert staged a Train Wreck, having Stevens perform this song at their Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, DC, only to have Ozzy Osbourne interrupt with a performance of "Crazy Train."

The bit didn't go over well with Salman Rushdie, an author who had a fatwa issued against him that Stevens supported. When Rushdie complained to Stewart, the Daily Show host said that he shouldn't have done it. "Death for free speech is a deal-breaker," said Stewart.