Songwriter’s Backstory – Trains I Missed

This feature is courtesy “Songwriter’s Backstory.” View the full article here.
Written by Irene Kelley on March 29, 2017

This month’s column features the song, Trains I Missed, written by Walt Wilkins, Gilles Godard and Nicole Witt in 2005. It was recorded by Balsam Range for their 2010 album by the same name and became the 2011 IBMA song of the year.

A diverse and accomplished team of co-writers is responsible for the existence of this wonderful song. As they each spoke of their individual contribution, all three writers seemed taken by surprise at the speed and flow with which the song was completed. The authors are also very vocal about their gratitude for the finished piece.

The title of the song was a great place to start, and Gilles Godard, a French-Canadian writer, had been saving this one for a good while. He said, “Just thinking about opportunities…getting ready to take them. You can’t reverse the river. It’s like if it’s meant to be, that’s life.” After some thought, Walt was the voice and co-writer Gilles sought out to bring the song into being: “Walt is sort of a world traveler; a free spirit. Nothing holds him down. Anything is possible, that’s why we all admire Walt. And it’s really a French saying: ‘les trains que j’ai manqué’.” It sounds so poetic in French that one can almost imagine what the translation actually means. “I kept that thought for a while,” Gilles said.

Recording artist and Texas-born traveling troubadour, Walt Wilkins, had just moved back to his hometown of Austin, TX from Nashville, TN and was back in Nashville for a short time to play a show. Gilles stopped Walt just after he came off stage at Douglas Corner Cafe. Walt recalls their conversation: “Gilles came up to me after my set and said, ‘Man I really want to write with you.’ He said, ‘I can see how happy you are in Texas. It looks great on you. I’ve got this idea, ‘Trains I Missed.’ You’re happy, and it just kinda radiates off you.’” Gilles reconfirmed with Walt that they would get together to write on Walt’s next Nashville trip.

A few months later, and still under contract with Curb, Walt made another co-writing trip to Nashville. It was the last day of his trip, and Gilles had also been writing that same morning with Springfield, MO native, recording artist and fellow Curb writer, Nicole Witt. Gilles and Nicole had a good groove going that morning, so it made sense for her to join Gilles and Walt’s afternoon writing session. Though Gilles and Nicole are both accomplished musicians, they let Walt play the guitar and ‘drive the train’, as they described it. Walt had some time to think on the title, since Gilles had mentioned it a few months earlier. After writing all day every day for two weeks, Walt says his brain was primed and working. Giles recalls the creation of the first verse: “Walt started to play and sing a piece of music. I said, ‘Is that what you wrote this morning?’ Walt said, ‘No that’s where your idea is taking me’.” Gilles continues, “It just fell out. And the words just fell into place. It was meant to be. A memorable day.”

Walt also calls it a memorable day of creating an unforgettable song: “I had a guitar that day and drove it. I had the music in my head. When it was over in an hour, I knew, ‘I’m going to sing this song for the rest of my life’!” Walt went on to record Trains I Missed on his 2007 Palo Duro Records album, Diamonds In The Sun. Walt Wilkins is known all over the US and abroad as a gifted writer and touring artist, and it’s a given that he’ll pack the house at any show that he performs in Texas. With over 200 songs recorded by other artists, his song, Somewhere Tonight (Wilkins/Raines), was a hit for Kelly Pickler and later recorded by Kenny Rogers. You can keep up with Walt online.

Nicole Witt recalls the day in a similar way, though some of the details have slightly faded since the song came about so quickly and some time had passed. “It just fell out!” she exclaims. An expression now quoted by all three writers about this special day and remarkable piece of work. “I do remember the three of us jiving on this idea and knowing there would be a lot of people that could identify with this. And as time has gone on, I know Walt sings it every night in his shows. When I’m doing a solo show, I also sing it. There are people in the audience that come to tears. And you just don’t know exactly why, what their personal story is.” I asked Nicole for some details on the writing session itself. As with Walt’s and Gilles’s recollections, it’s about the big picture and not so much the details. She reflected, “I can’t remember specific details line per line. But I do remember thinking that, as we were writing it, it progressed.” 

Trains I Missed

Here’s to the trains I missed, the loves I lost
The bridges I burned the rivers I never crossed
Here’s to the call I didn’t hear, the signs I didn’t heed
The roads I couldn’t take the map that I just wouldn’t read

CHORUS
It’s a big ole world but I found my way
From the hell and the hurt that led me straight to this
Here’s to the trains I missed

I’ve been a clown I’ve been a fool and I pushed on every chance

I searched far and wide tried to crawl out of God’s hand
But there’s stones I didn’t throw and hearts I didn’t break

And the little hope I held onto with a silver shining thread of faith

CHORUS
It’s a big ole world but I found my way
From the hell and the hurt that led me straight to this
Here’s to the trains I missed

Here’s to the place I found, the love I know
The earth and the sky that I call home
And here’s to the things I believe, bigger than me
And the moment I find myself right where I’m supposed to be

LAST CHORUS

It’s a big ole world but I found my way
From the hell and the hurt that led me straight to this
Yeah, it’s a big ole world but I found my way
From the hell and the hurt that led me straight to this
Here’s to the trains I missed