The theme behind the song is about how romantic love can conquer any differences in someone’s background. The narrator of the song sings of how her boyfriend is a failed musician who left his hometown of Georgia to move to Los Angeles to become “a superstar, but he didn’t get far”, so he decides to give up and “go back to the life he once knew”.
Despite the fact that the narrator is settled and secure in herself, she decides to move to Georgia with him as she’d rather “live in his world than live without him in mine.” The song was originally recorded by the American soul and gospel singer, Cissy Houston, and released as a single in 1972, who took the song into the R&B chart. Jim Weatherly had originally written the song as “Midnight Plane to Houston” and was based on a conversation that Weatherly had had with Farah Fawcett and Lee Majors, who Fawcett had just started dating. It was a gentleman called Sonny Limbo, based in Atlanta, who initially received the song and wished to change the title before giving it to Cissy Houston to record.
On its release by Gladys Knight & the Pips it became the group’s first number one, eight weeks after its release, when it jumped from number five to number one on October 27th 1973, knocking “Angie” by the Rolling Stones off of the top spot. It also reached number one on the soul singles chart and peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart. The song has been included in the 1978 film “The Deer Hunter” and a number of American TV programmes.
L.A. proved too much for the man
(Too much for the man, he couldn't make it)
So he's leaving a life he's come to know, ooh
(He said he's going) He said he's going back to find
(Going back to find) Ooh, what's left of his world
The world he left behind not so long ago
He's leaving (Leaving) On that midnight train to Georgia,
yeah (Leaving on the midnight train)
Said he's going back (Going back to find)
To a simpler place and time, oh yes he is
(Whenever he takes that ride, guess who's gonna be right by his side)
I'll be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on a midnight train to Georgia, woo woo)
I'd rather live in his world (Live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (Her world is his, his and hers alone)
He kept dreaming (Dreaming)
Ooh, that some day he'd be a star
(A superstar, but he didn't get far)
But he sure found out the hard way
That dreams don't always come true, oh no, uh uh
(Dreams don't always come true, uh uh, no, uh uh)
So he pawned all his hopes (Woo, woo, woo-woo) And even sold his old car (Woo, woo, woo-woo) Bought a one way ticket back to the life he once knew
Oh yes he did, he said he would Oh-oh, he's leaving
(Leaving) On that midnight train to Georgia, yeah
(Leaving on a midnight train)
Said he's going back to find, ooh
(Going back to find) A simpler place and time, ooh, yeah
(Whenever he takes that ride, guess who's gonna be right by his side)
I'm gonna be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on a midnight train to Georgia, woo woo)
I'd rather live in his world (Live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (Her world is his, his and hers alone)
Ooh, he's leaving (Leaving) On the midnight train to
Georgia, yeah, ooh y'all (Leaving on the midnight train)
Said he's going back to find (Going back to find)
Ooh, a simpler place and time, ooh y'all, uh-huh
(Whenever he takes that ride, guess who's gonna be right by his side)
I've got to be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on a midnight train to Georgia, woo woo)
I'd rather live in his world (Live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (Her world is his, his and hers alone)
For love, gonna board the midnight train to ride
For love, gonna board, gotta board the midnight train to go
For love, gonna board, uh huh, the midnight train to go
My world, his world, our world, mine and his alone
My world, his world, our world, mine and his alone
I got to go I got to go I got to go, hey
I got to go I got to go My world, his world, my man, his girl
I got to go I got to go, oh I got to go My world, his world,
our world, his girl
