In the shuffling madness
Of the locomotive breath
Runs the all time loser
Headlong to his death
Oh, he feels the piston scraping
Steam breaking on his brow
Old Charlie stole the handle
And the train, it won't stop going
No way to slow down
Oh, oh
He sees his children jumping off
At stations one by one
His woman and his best friend
In bed an' having fun
Oh, he's crawling down the corridor
On his hands and knees
Old Charlie stole the handle
And the train, it won't stop going
No way to slow down
Yeah, yeah
He hears the silence howling
And catches angels as they fall
And the all time winner
Has got him by the balls
Oh, he picks up Gideon's Bible
Open at page one
I thank God, he stole the handle
And the train, it won't stop going
No way to slow down
No way to slow down
No way to slow down
No way to slow down
No way to slow down
No way to slow down
The whole runaway train reference is metaphoric. The mans life is falling apart ... kids bailing ... infidelity ... he is positive he can't get control and will crash.