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20th Century Express Lyrics by Mavis Staples

Time Waits For No One

1989

[Verse 1:]
Screams cry out in the dead of night
From the crack house across the street
You’re comin’ down with a sudden migraine
And here it is almost 3
Next door they’re fightin’ again
Somebody’s done somebody wrong
And some freak keeps calling up
Wantin’ a quickie on the telephone
You try and try to close your eyes at night
But all you do is toss and turn until broad daylight
[Chorus:]
Welcome (a-welcome) aboard the 20th Century Express
Welcome (a-welcome) aboard the 20th Century Express
[Verse 2:]
Fast food chains keep popping up
Everybody’s eatin’ on the run
Hamburgers, French fries, hurry please
But hold the indigestion
The rush hour traffic slows you down
As you race against the clock
But fasten your seatbelts everyone
There are no intermediate stops
You try and try to keep pace with the times
You try and get one step ahead, but you fall two steps behind
CHORUS
Ooh yeah, all day, on rey, all say, I say, he say, ok, ok {x4}
You try and try to close your eyes at night
But all you do is toss and turn until broad daylight
CHORUS {x2}
Running to the crack house
People gettin’ sprung out
Welcome aboard
(Welcome, a-welcome aboard the 20th Century Express)
Livin’ in the fast lane
Too much cocaine
Welcome aboard
(Welcome, a-welcome aboard the 20th Century Express)
The world keep revolvin’
And ain’t nobody stoppin’
Welcome oh yes
(Welcome, a-welcome aboard the 20th Century Express)
Welcome, welcome
Welcome aboard the 20th Century Express
We’re livin’ too fast, y’all
Babies makin’ babies, here
Oh, welcome the 20th Century Express
Credits
Mavis Staples

Mavis Staples

About “20th Century Express” by Mavis Staples

Read the complete lyrics to "20th Century Express" by Mavis Staples from the album "Time Waits For No One" in 1989. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under R&B.

"20th Century Express" is performed by Mavis Staples. from the album "Time Waits For No One" in 1989 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "20th Century Express", explore more songs by Mavis Staples using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"20th Century Express" is credited to Mavis Staples. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"20th Century Express" appears on "Time Waits For No One" in 1989.

Visit the Mavis Staples artist page at /artist/mavis-staples for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.