🚂Train Track - On the Railway of Stories

 

🚂 On the Railway of Stories: 

Books, Movies & Documentaries that Inspire Train Track

Trains are more than just a mode of transportation. They are symbols of journeys, encounters, departures, and arrivals. They carry us across landscapes, but also through the landscapes of our own emotions. They connect strangers, reunite families, and sometimes - they mirror the struggles of life itself.

When I wrote Train Track, I found myself reflecting on how often trains appear in literature, cinema, and documentaries - how their imagery resonates universally with heartbreak, hope, and transformation. Here’s a curated list of timeless books, movies, and documentaries set on or around trains, that capture the essence of the “railways of life.”

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📚 Top Books Featuring Trains

• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  A mystery classic that captures the magic and suspense of being trapped on a snowbound luxury train.

• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  One of the greatest novels of all time, where fateful train scenes symbolize love, tragedy, and destiny.

• The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
  A heartwarming children’s classic about resilience, family, and the adventures that begin at the station.

• Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
  A psychological thriller where two strangers meet on a train, and one suggests a chilling idea: “I’ll commit your murder if you commit mine.” Dark, gripping, and unforgettable.

• Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
  A thoughtful, philosophical novel where a Swiss professor abandons his routine life after a chance encounter, boarding a night train to Lisbon that changes his destiny.

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  A modern bestseller where daily train rides become the stage for mystery and obsession, as an ordinary passenger witnesses something shocking from her carriage window.

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🎬 Top Movies Featuring Trains

• Some Like It Hot (1959)
  Billy Wilder’s hilarious classic where much of the action kicks off on a train - blending comedy, disguise, and unforgettable performances by Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon.

• My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
  A romantic comedy gem where the train station becomes the stage for one of the most heartfelt moments.

• The Christmas Train (2017)
  Based on David Baldacci’s book, this Hallmark film shows how holiday magic unfolds on the rails - and yes, ironically starring Dermot Mulroney again, as in My Best Friend’s Wedding! 

• The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
  Three estranged brothers take a whimsical yet emotional train journey across India, rediscovering family bonds and healing old wounds.

• Brief Encounter (1945)
  A chance meeting on a train platform sparks a forbidden romance — tender, restrained, and heartbreakingly timeless.

• Snowpiercer (2013)
  In a frozen post-apocalyptic world, the last survivors live aboard a perpetually moving train - a thrilling allegory of class struggle and survival.

• Before Sunrise (1995)
  Two strangers meet on a train and spend one magical night in Vienna, capturing love, fate, and fleeting connections.

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🎥 Top Documentaries Featuring Trains

• Great British Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo (BBC2) A colorful journey through history, geography, and culture — told with charm and insight by the railway gentleman himself.

• India’s Frontier Railways (BBC)
  An eye-opening look at how trains connect communities across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, blending politics, culture, and human resilience.

• The World’s Busiest Railway (BBC)
  A vivid portrait of Mumbai’s Central Station, where millions of people’s stories intersect every single day.

• Extreme Railways with Chris Tarrant
  Veteran broadcaster Chris Tarrant takes us on the world’s most dangerous, unusual, and breathtaking train routes — from mountain climbs to desert crossings.

• Japan’s Bullet Train
  A fascinating dive into the Shinkansen, Japan’s legendary high-speed marvel - symbol of innovation, precision, and the future of rail travel.

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🚂 Why Trains Inspire Me

Trains are like life itself:

• People come and go.

• Some journeys are joyful, others heartbreaking.

• Each destination carries a story.

Through Train Track, my feat. Artist Francis and I wanted to capture this very essence: the rhythm of the rails echoing the rhythm of our lives.

So next time you watch a movie, read a book, or tune into a documentary about trains - look closely. You might just see your own story reflected in the carriages passing by.

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✨ Call to Action:
👉 What’s YOUR favorite book, movie, or documentary about trains? Share it in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram at @the.train.track.

And don’t forget - the Train Track Writing & Photo Contest is open! Every track has a story. What’s yours?

My Favorite Scene in the movie with Jack Lemmon on the Night train!

🚂 Train Track Writing & Photo Contest

Every track has a story. What’s yours?

Life is like a railway - filled with arrivals, departures, crossings, and unexpected delays. Inspired by my upcoming song “Train Track” (Lily Amis feat. Francis Eluozo), I invite YOU to share your story or vision of the railway of life.

✨ NEW TWIST: The best entries won’t just be shared - they’ll be brought to life as cinematic Instagram Reels using AI storytelling visuals combined with the official Train Track soundtrack! 🎬🎶

How to Enter:

1️⃣ Post your story (max. 300 words) OR a photo inspired by the railway of life.
2️⃣ Share it on Instagram. 
3️⃣ Follow @the.train.track, tag @the.train.track and use #TrainTrackStories.

Deadline:

🗓️ November 1st, 2025

Prizes:

🏆 The winning entry will receive an Amazon voucher (books or music – your choice!)

🏆 In addition, the winner will receive a special Christmas gift package, curated by Lily Amis - a heartfelt surprise designed to inspire and uplift.

 ✨ PLUS: Your story or photo may be featured as part of the official Train Track cinematic reel series.

Announcement:

📢 Winners will be announced on Instagram @the.train.track and on my official blog.

So, hop on board and share your voice, your vision, your #TrainTrackStories. Let’s show the world that every journey matters.

UPDATE 31. October 2025: NO ENTRIES, NO WINNERS! Sad but true! 

🚂Train Track – The Railways of Life

🚂Railways of life crossing each other’s paths…

Each of us carries invisible luggage - some filled with joy, others with heartbreak, anger, or fear. On the surface, we walk by one another in train stations, barely noticing. Yet behind every face lies a story of survival, of endurance, of simply trying to function in the chaos of life.

Train stations are extraordinary places. They are crossroads where countless journeys overlap - strangers from every walk of life brushing shoulders for a fleeting second. You feel the weight of energies colliding: hope, fatigue, excitement, despair. And yet, we rarely pause. We see the same faces every day, arriving and departing, and never know their names, their destinations, or the stories that shaped them. If we could read their minds, the noise would be deafening.

Most of the time, stations feel rushed. People are not really there - they are already chasing their destination. Smiles are rare. Everyone is in a hurry to move on, to escape. And in today’s world, that distance feels even sharper: commuters glued to their phones, scrolling through digital lives while ignoring the very real souls sitting right beside them.

Despite the thousands moving together, people remain trapped in their own thoughts - avoiding eye contact, dodging connection. Some bury themselves in newspapers or books, others cradle a coffee on the go, while many retreat into the comfort of headphones, staring blankly through train windows. All of them sharing a space, but not truly sharing a moment.

And yet, isn’t that the metaphor of life itself?

Parallel tracks. So close, yet never touching.

Journeys that cross, only to separate again.

Different rails, different destinations - all bound by the same railway of life.

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This is the heartbeat of my upcoming single, Train Track.

And now, I want to hear your stories.

Soon I will be announcing a Writing Contest inspired by Train Track. You’ll have the chance to share your own reflections - your personal train track story - for a chance to win and be featured.

Follow my Instagram @the.train.track to stay updated and join the journey.

Every track has a story. What’s yours? 

🚂Train Track – Where History Meets the Journey of Life!

 

🚂 Every track has a story. What’s yours?

As I prepare to release my new single Train Track, I’ve been diving deep into the world of trains - not only for their fascinating history but also for what they symbolize: life’s endless journeys, departures, arrivals, and the tracks we leave behind.

Did you know?

• The very first passenger station in the world opened in Liverpool, England, in 1830. A modest beginning that changed how humanity moves forever.
• The largest train station today is Grand Central Terminal in New York City, a breathtaking masterpiece with 44 platforms and 67 tracks. More than just a station, it’s a living movie set of daily comings and goings.
• On the other end of the spectrum lies Damems Station in the UK - one of the smallest stations, where trains only stop on request. Proof that even the tiniest platforms can hold big stories.
• Across the globe, there are tens of thousands of stations - too many to count - each one a gateway to someone’s story.
• India leads the world with over 7,300 stations - a web of rails that connect millions of lives daily.
• And if you wonder how many trains run worldwide each day? Just in India alone, there are about 25,000 passenger and freight trains daily. Multiply that across the globe, and the number becomes staggering.

These facts remind me why trains have always been more than just machines. They are metaphors for our lives - constant movement, choices of direction, moments of stillness at stations, and the unstoppable flow of time.

That’s the heart of Train Track. It’s not just a song about rails and stations - it’s about life’s railway.

Soon, I’ll be launching a photo and writing contest on Instagram and my blog. I’ll be inviting you to share your own “train track stories” - whether they’re about real journeys or metaphorical ones. The winning story will be rewarded with an Amazon voucher (to buy books or music for your next ride).

This project is for everyone who believes that every journey matters.

Stay tuned. The train is about to leave the station...

🪩The Great Thing About DISCO!

For many months now, I’ve been pitching my music in different genres (Pop, R&B, and Rap) to music libraries, hoping for sync placements. Before I had a DISCO account, whenever I pitched my music and received no answer—or just a standard rejection—I thought the problem was my music. 

But here’s the truth: like everything else in life, tastes are subjective. There’s no absolute right or wrong. It’s about finding the right audience. Ever since I started creating DISCO playlists for each pitch, I’ve gained something invaluable: clarity. Now I know for sure when a library or supervisor hasn’t even listened to my submission. And that changed everything for me.

Why DISCO Matters

DISCO shows you whether your links have been opened, how often they’ve been streamed, and even if the tracks were downloaded. That means when you receive silence or a rejection, it often has nothing to do with your music—it’s simply that no one even pressed play.

And honestly? That’s the most disrespectful part. Artists invest hours researching catalogs, following submission guidelines, writing personalized pitches, and curating playlists. If a company doesn’t want submissions, I respect the ones that are upfront about it on their website. But pretending to accept submissions, letting artists wait for months, and then sending a cold rejection without feedback is unprofessional and damaging.

The Myth of “Respect the Libraries”

Many so-called “sync gurus” on Instagram and music blogs keep repeating:

“Don’t pitch too much.”

“Only send to 2–3 libraries per week.”

“Respect the libraries.”

At first, I followed these rules. But after weeks of silence, I checked my DISCO stats—and not a single link had even been opened. That’s when I ran an experiment: I pitched to 100 libraries at once. Guess what? Out of 100, only 22 actually listened.

That was the moment I realized: many of these companies don’t truly support new artists, even though they take 50% of placements when they do profit from our work.

Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Waste Time)

• Don’t waste time combing through catalogs and following “perfect” submission guidelines if the companies don’t even listen.
• Don’t take rejection personally. Most of the time, your music wasn’t even heard.
• Don’t measure your worth by how many replies you get. A “no” or silence often means nothing about the quality of your music.

Instead:

• Spend more time writing, producing, and creating great music.
• Use tools like DISCO to track your pitches and protect your time.
• Focus on non-exclusive libraries or direct-to-supervisor pitching where you keep control.
• Build your own licensing strategy (even through your own website) so you’re not fully dependent on gatekeepers.

Final Thoughts

The time I wasted researching libraries that never listened—I’ll never get that back. But what I did gain is perspective. If you’re an indie artist trying to break into sync, don’t let rejections or silence shake your confidence.

Believe in your work. Believe in your mission. Guard your time and energy fiercely.

Your music matters—and the right people will hear it when the time is right.

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Helpful Resources for Indie Artists on the Sync Journey

Here are some tools and platforms I’ve found useful on my own path:

• DISCO – Upload, share, and track your music pitches with streaming/download stats.
• Songtrust – Global publishing administration for indie artists.
• BMI / ASCAP – Performing Rights Organizations (choose depending on your territory).

💍Why I’ll Never Marry My Music to One Gatekeeper!

 

Exclusive or Non-Exclusive?
If you’re an indie artist navigating the sync licensing world, this is the question.

A month ago, I was still debating it. Now, my answer is crystal clear: Non-exclusive only. And if you’re serious about protecting your music, I’m going to tell you why.

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How a Corrupt Distributor Woke Me Up

Last year, my former distributor — the Swedish company AMUSE — accused me of using AI playlists. Without warning, they locked my account.

I had no access to my music for an entire month.
No explanation. No respect.

I had to start an online petition and publish open letters to their CEO to get my own copyrighted work back.

It was one of the most stressful experiences of my career. And yet, looking back now, I’m grateful for it.

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The Harsh Truth About Streaming Platforms

That incident made me realize I was playing a rigged game:

·         Artists promote their music for free.

·         Corporations get richer.

·         We get paid pennies.

Let’s talk numbers: 1 million streams = roughly $3,000.

When Spotify claimed my music had landed on an AI playlist (without my knowledge), I had only a few hundred streams — yet they treated me like a criminal.

If that’s how they act over a few hundred plays, imagine what they’d do if you actually hit a million.

This is modern-day artistic slavery: hopeful indie artists doing free labor for billion-dollar companies.

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From Streaming to Sync Licensing: Same Game, Different Rules

After walking away from streaming, I dove into sync licensing.
It didn’t take long to see the same patterns:

·         Exploitative contracts that give away your rights forever.

·         No upfront payment, just vague promises.

·         Zero guarantee your music will even get placed.

Some “exclusive” deals are basically a black hole for your songs.

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Why I Choose Non-Exclusive Licensing

Recently, I had the chance to sign my album with three exclusive libraries in the USA, Switzerland, and Italy.

After emails and video meetings, one thing became obvious:
Signing away my music forever without upfront payment would be insanity.

As a lyricist and vocalist, my songs are my identity. I’m not handing them over to one company, especially if they:

·         Don’t give me credit in their catalog.

·         Control how and where my music is used.

·         Keep the majority of the profit.

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My Reasons for Staying Non-Exclusive

·         Legacy4Humanity is message-driven. These are more than songs — they’re stories.

·         I want creative control. Always.

·         Freedom over restriction. My music won’t belong to one gatekeeper forever.

·         Flexibility. I can release remixes, reworks, and new versions whenever I choose.

·         Direct connections. I can pitch to music supervisors who resonate with my work.

·         Multiple opportunities. My songs can live on many platforms at once.

·         Purpose over profit. My music stays accessible.

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Even Non-Exclusive Deals Require Caution

Don’t be fooled — not all non-exclusive contracts are safe.
Always:

1.      Read the fine print.

2.      Keep your rights intact.

3.      Understand how the company will promote (or not promote) your music.

I’m still carefully searching for the right non-exclusive libraries for my album. It’s exhausting work, but it’s worth every hour.

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Final takeaway:
Don’t give away your music for the possibility of success.
Your art is worth more than crumbs.
Protect it, value it, and never marry it to one gatekeeper.