The Steam Train by Jason Robert Brown Lyrics
[MAN 1, spoken]
You don't know me, but you will. Let me introduce myself.
[MAN 1]
Submitted for your approval:
The future of basketball
The man with the muscle
And the man with the moves
Submitted for your approval:
The man who's too fast to fall
The man who can hustle
And the man who can fly
Who always is hot
When it's time for the shot
Listen
Any time you want me at all
Any rhyme or reason-
Brother, I'm the brother you call to play
Spring or summer, winter or fall
Any time or season-
Catch the boy who's movin' the ball away -
He's called the
Steam Train, comin' down the track
Better watch your step, better watch your back
'Cause you'll see a shadow, fast and black
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by
Steam Train, chuggin' down the hill
If you don't move now, then you never will
He's on your tail and he's in for the kill
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by...
[WOMAN 2]
He's better than Magic Johnson!
[MAN 2]
The man is all talk, no action!
[WOMAN 1]
I love how he holds the ball!
[MAN 1]
My subjects arrive!
[MAN 2, WOMAN 1, & WOMAN 2]
The Train's got the talent
[MAN 2]
But without the technique
[WOMAN 1, WOMAN 2, & MAN 1]
Toot, toot, here comes the Ssss...
[WOMAN 1 & WOMAN 2]
Steam Train...
[MAN 1, MAN 2]
I'm takin' on Michael Jordan!
Got nothin' on Michael Jordan!
He's ridin' it for a fall!
[WOMAN 2]
Gonna score it!
[WOMAN 1]
Lord, I'm fallin' for the Steam Train
[MAN 1]
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
[WOMAN 2]
The Train's gonna make it
To the top of the sky!
[MAN 2]
Any team'll
Pass him right by
[MAN 2, WOMAN 1, & WOMAN 2]
Prepare for attack
When the Train's on the track!
[MAN 1]
Listen
I have got my hands on the wheel
[ALL]
Someone's got to lead us
Takin' on the Train's gonna seal your fate!
[MAN 1]
Watch me as I line up a deal
With Nike and Adidas
[ALL]
All the world is starting
To feel the weight of the
Steam Train, comin' down the track!
Better watch your step, better watch your back!
[MAN 1]
Better keep your eyeballs open, Jack!
[ALL]
When the Steam Train's rollin' by
Steam Train, chuggin' down the hill
[MAN 1]
If you want to live, baby, don't stand still!
[ALL]
He's on the move and he's in for the kill
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by...
[MAN 1, spoken]
You don't know me. The last time I saw my father, I was five years old. He hadn't been home for two months. He came into the apartment at three o clock in the morning, set fire to the drapes and carpets and then woke up me and my sister, carried us outside and walked away while we watched the building burn down.
You don't know me. But you will.
[MAN 1, COMPANY, ALL]
A new world
Oo...
Just across the river
Oo...
Just across the river, there's
A new world
Where I'll have it all!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
A new world
Just around the corner-
Hear it call!
Hear it call!
[COMPANY]
Steam Train gotta run, gotta move, gotta blow
Gotta leave the Bronx behind him!
He knows all he's needin'
To know to fly (he gonna fly!)
Steam Train, he got places to go-
No one ever find him!
[MAN 1 & COMPANY]
Steam Train movin' on with the show-
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Look out, here comes the
Steam Train, comin' down the track!
Better watch your step, better watch your back
'Cause you'll see a shadow, fast and black
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by...
Steam Train, chuggin' down the hill!
If you don't move now, then you never will!
He's on your tail and he's in for the kill
Then the Steam Train's rollin'
Steam Train's rollin'
Steam Train's rollin' by...
[MAN 1, spoken]
You don't know me. There were twelve boys in my fifth grade class at Sojourner Truth. Four of them are in jail, six of them are dead, and Gordon Connors works at Twin Donut on 125th Street.
You don't know me...
But you will.
You don't know me, but you will. Let me introduce myself.
[MAN 1]
Submitted for your approval:
The future of basketball
The man with the muscle
And the man with the moves
Submitted for your approval:
The man who's too fast to fall
The man who can hustle
And the man who can fly
Who always is hot
When it's time for the shot
Listen
Any time you want me at all
Any rhyme or reason-
Brother, I'm the brother you call to play
Spring or summer, winter or fall
Any time or season-
Catch the boy who's movin' the ball away -
He's called the
Steam Train, comin' down the track
Better watch your step, better watch your back
'Cause you'll see a shadow, fast and black
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by
Steam Train, chuggin' down the hill
If you don't move now, then you never will
He's on your tail and he's in for the kill
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by...
[WOMAN 2]
He's better than Magic Johnson!
[MAN 2]
The man is all talk, no action!
[WOMAN 1]
I love how he holds the ball!
[MAN 1]
My subjects arrive!
[MAN 2, WOMAN 1, & WOMAN 2]
The Train's got the talent
[MAN 2]
But without the technique
[WOMAN 1, WOMAN 2, & MAN 1]
Toot, toot, here comes the Ssss...
[WOMAN 1 & WOMAN 2]
Steam Train...
[MAN 1, MAN 2]
I'm takin' on Michael Jordan!
Got nothin' on Michael Jordan!
He's ridin' it for a fall!
[WOMAN 2]
Gonna score it!
[WOMAN 1]
Lord, I'm fallin' for the Steam Train
[MAN 1]
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
[WOMAN 2]
The Train's gonna make it
To the top of the sky!
[MAN 2]
Any team'll
Pass him right by
[MAN 2, WOMAN 1, & WOMAN 2]
Prepare for attack
When the Train's on the track!
[MAN 1]
Listen
I have got my hands on the wheel
[ALL]
Someone's got to lead us
Takin' on the Train's gonna seal your fate!
[MAN 1]
Watch me as I line up a deal
With Nike and Adidas
[ALL]
All the world is starting
To feel the weight of the
Steam Train, comin' down the track!
Better watch your step, better watch your back!
[MAN 1]
Better keep your eyeballs open, Jack!
[ALL]
When the Steam Train's rollin' by
Steam Train, chuggin' down the hill
[MAN 1]
If you want to live, baby, don't stand still!
[ALL]
He's on the move and he's in for the kill
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by...
[MAN 1, spoken]
You don't know me. The last time I saw my father, I was five years old. He hadn't been home for two months. He came into the apartment at three o clock in the morning, set fire to the drapes and carpets and then woke up me and my sister, carried us outside and walked away while we watched the building burn down.
You don't know me. But you will.
[MAN 1, COMPANY, ALL]
A new world
Oo...
Just across the river
Oo...
Just across the river, there's
A new world
Where I'll have it all!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
A new world
Just around the corner-
Hear it call!
Hear it call!
[COMPANY]
Steam Train gotta run, gotta move, gotta blow
Gotta leave the Bronx behind him!
He knows all he's needin'
To know to fly (he gonna fly!)
Steam Train, he got places to go-
No one ever find him!
[MAN 1 & COMPANY]
Steam Train movin' on with the show-
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Look out, here comes the
Steam Train, comin' down the track!
Better watch your step, better watch your back
'Cause you'll see a shadow, fast and black
Then the Steam Train's rollin' by...
Steam Train, chuggin' down the hill!
If you don't move now, then you never will!
He's on your tail and he's in for the kill
Then the Steam Train's rollin'
Steam Train's rollin'
Steam Train's rollin' by...
[MAN 1, spoken]
You don't know me. There were twelve boys in my fifth grade class at Sojourner Truth. Four of them are in jail, six of them are dead, and Gordon Connors works at Twin Donut on 125th Street.
You don't know me...
But you will.