Expanding on the train theme just a bit...
How many old songs might there be that reference trains, that most people mght not understand in today's world.
One example is Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. It contains these lyrics:
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
And sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
The engineer would see him sitting in the shade
Strumming to the rythm that the drivers made
I wonder how many people know that a steam locomotive operated in 4/4 cadence. I have read a music history that suggested that popular music used to be presented in 3/4 or 6/8 timing, but when steam locomotives became prevelent and powerful (noisy) in America, our instinct for music was reprogrammed to match the locomotive rythm. He then stated that if it were not for steam locomotives, we might not have Rock-And-Roll.
That is a cute theory, but I put it up there with the nonsense that horse's butt-width forced the design of shuttle boosters.
Anyway... any more hidden train lyrics in popular songs?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAI6wjXEV6g
John Denver
(goodness, how could you all forget I've Been Working On The Railroad"?
One after 9 0 9 Beatles
Long train running Doobie Brothers
Now that we are really getting into it - (unless someone already mentioned this one)
John Henry Steel Driving Man
I'll say that I am not really a Bruce Springsteen fan but he put out an album called "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" which does a cover of this song and the whole album I think is fantastic.
- charles
This isn't a song, just an instrumental piece.
It was often played on radio during the 1950s and became a theme tune for a BBC TV series.
Coronation Scot ~ The Paul Temple Theme - YouTube
The train only ran from 1937 until 1939. The original train was blue but a newer red train was built, and sent to the USA for the New York World's Fair in 1939.
The video shows a poster with a blue train with electric headlight. Only the loco that went to the USA, which was red, carried the electric headlight.
Peter
Here is the railfan version of the above.
The aerial shots are of the inaugural run, where the train reached 114 mph (the second fastest steam train in the UK and maybe third in the world)
Coronation Scot - YouTube
I looked through this thread and did not see Chattanooga Choo Choo, my favorite version is by Glenn Miller and his orchestra.
We can't leave that one out. Sorry if I missed it.
Good morning
Busy weekend. Thanks for the Kenny Rogers link John. I've always liked Burt Reynolds movies as well and will have to see if I have that series I never knew about on Amazon internet TV.
Who could forget about Chuck Berry Kevin? I must admit I did until you mentioned it. That is certainly one of the all-time greats and a great pick. They say that song was one of the greater influences of a newer sound to rock and roll.
https://youtu.be/CDOWpnBv6cY
I'm getting the look from the misses to go to the grocery store and will have to find the missing links and finish my post later
TF
How about two TV series with railroad theme songs.
The 1950s series Casey Jones starring Alan Hale Jr. in the title role, years before he gained greater fame as the Skipper on Gilligan's Island. I was surprised to see that series is available on DVD given that it only ran for 32 episodes. I was very young when it ran and don't remember much about it other than the theme song.
Casey Jones 1957 - 1958 Opening and Closing Theme - Bing video
The other is Petticoat Junction. Great footage of an old time steamer in both the black and white and color versions of the opening.
Petticoat Junction Theme Song - YouTube
I don't think I ever watched a full episode. Wasn't it a spin-off from The Beverly Hillibillies which I did watch? My fuzzy memory tells me the central characther of Petticoat Junction was Jed Clampett's cousin who appeared on several episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies.
Not the sort of train or train song much thought of here but a train song nevertheless....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Jw_v3F_Q0&list=PLxdTjVOb7zasCHLdgHd65TSmw8w_7U4My&index=49
this was very popular in the early 1960s...
M636C Not the sort of train or train song much thought of here but a train song nevertheless.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Jw_v3F_Q0&list=PLxdTjVOb7zasCHLdgHd65TSmw8w_7U4My&index=49 this was very popular in the early 1960s... Peter
I never did think of that as a train song but of course it is one and one of the all time greats. Nice to see a video of the original three members of the Kingston Trio. Over the years, the cast changed often. I think there is still a Kingston Trio but of course none of the early members are part of it. I believe they are all dead.
Come ride a little Train that is rolling down the tracks at the junction.
Forget about your cares it is time to relax at the junction.
Lots of Curves you bet, even more when you get to the junction.
Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island was the little boys lovely as the girl next door. At least she was in my book as Ginger too proud of herself always gloating didn't even count.
And the three sisters dipping in the Water Tower on Petticoat Junction.
Need I say anymore?
OK, I am just going to put it out there.
The entirety of The Starlight Express by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
They are all train songs, every single one.
I saw this show about 25 years ago. Pretty girls roller skating around pretending to be freight trains only gets you so far.
Just about every song in this disaster I find quite annoying.
"Oooh-oooh Nobody Can Do It Like A Steam Train"
Track fiddler Come ride a little Train that is rolling down the tracks at the junction. Forget about your cares it is time to relax at the junction. Lots of Curves you bet, even more when you get to the junction. Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island was the little boys lovely as the girl next door. At least she was in my book as Ginger too proud of herself always gloating didn't even count. And the three sisters dipping in the Water Tower on Petticoat Junction. Need I say anymore? TF
I just noticed something about the train in the opening of Petticoat Junction. It has one car, a single old time combine. It looks very similar in both style and color to a Gorre and Daphetid combine issued by Roundhouse some time in the 1980s. Roundhouse issued a series of freight and passenger cars lettered for the G&D. I have four of those cars, a boxcar, stock car, coach, and combine. The combine is almost a dead ringer for the one in the Petticoat Junction train. I'm wondering if they used that as the basis for their two passenger cars. The two freight cars look to be generic and not modeled after any of John Allen's cars and I don't recall his passenger cars painted in the green scheme.
OK, going to stretch it a bit again...
In 1986 there was a country album released titled Killbilly Hill that contains an absolutely awful version of Pink Cadillac. It is just horrendous to listen to.
I know Pink Cadillac is not a train song...
but...
wait for it...
the name of the band is SOUTHERN PACIFIC!
What do you think, does this count?
John-NYBWHow about two TV series with railroad theme songs.
Wouldn't we then need to include the theme from NBC's Supertrain?
Although I must admit, I have no idea what it sounded like.
CASEY JONES - Grateful Dead
HELLBOUND TRAIN - Savoy Brown
I didn't see a link to this song earlier in the thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2w2m1JmCY
Not only is this a song about a train, but the video was filmed in a pretty complex mock up of a streamliner pullman section car, complete with passing scenery. The closing clip is of the "City of Los Angeles" but the locomotive at the start is a UP locomotive, not one of the joint "City" locomotives.
But a well produced sequence. I feel it may have been in a contemporary movie to go to so much trouble. Good to see Duke Ellington at work.
SeeYou190 John-NYBW How about two TV series with railroad theme songs. Wouldn't we then need to include the theme from NBC's Supertrain? Although I must admit, I have no idea what it sounded like. -Kevin
John-NYBW How about two TV series with railroad theme songs.
I only watched the first episode so I don't know what the theme song sounded like. The same year that show ran, another train themed series was tried. Time Express was about a time traveling train and starred Vincent Price. Both shows bombed. Supertrain lasted 9 episodes and Time Express only lasted 4. Not long enough for their theme songs to get ingrained in anybody's head.
John-NYBWI only watched the first episode so I don't know what the theme song sounded like.
Same here.
That show was awful.
The only thing I remember was noticing the track gauge was super-wide when running through the desert, but switched back to 4'-8-1/2" when the train pulled into the station.
And then there is the Conjunction Junction song from Schoolhouse Rock!
Anyone remember that one?
charles
SeeYou190 OK, I am just going to put it out there. The entirety of The Starlight Express by Andrew Lloyd Webber. They are all train songs, every single one. I saw this show about 25 years ago. Pretty girls roller skating around pretending to be freight trains only gets you so far. Just about every song in this disaster I find quite annoying. "Oooh-oooh Nobody Can Do It Like A Steam Train" -Kevin
I saw the show in London in 1996. A freind wanted to see "Cats" but that was booked out, so we went to "Starlight Express" instead. I'm not sure that women pretending to be cats would have been better than women pretending to be trains, but I didn't have really high expectations from the start.
A lot of work went into the production. there were roller skate tracks down each side of the theatre and even across the back so the audience were literally in the middle of the action. The songs were as expected, and familiar from radio and TV.
I'm not a big Andrew Lloyd Webber fan but I didn't feel ripped off.
I was in London on business in a hotel in Oxford St, so we could walk to the theatre, and the change of theatre wasn't a problem.
But overall I thought the show was worth seeing.
In Australia, the name "Starlight Express" has been used for a children's charity for children with cancer, and an XPT power car carries "Starlight Express" lettering on the nose and special logos on the side.
M636CBut overall I thought the show was worth seeing.
The same as my experience with "Cats", the songs performed live in the theater were better than the songs on the cast recording.
Give a listen to the cast recording to Starlight Express, and all the electronic manipulation (1980s style) they did the the voices. I think you would agree that the cast recording is awful. The worst is the song AC/DC.
And, the song "Rap" is just 100% unforgiveable. Andrew Lloyd Webber trying to do hip-hop is astounding in what a bad idea it was.
"Navisky", about an accursed siding, is popular among some of my operating friends. One of them named a new siding "Navisky" when he added it to his model railroad.
https://youtu.be/uqAdS5wq-Os
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
Not sure if it has been mentioned, one of the best is Casey Jones by the Grateful Dead.
Mike
LOCOMOTIVE BREATH - Jethro Tull
ghosts of the rails by james coffee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbnGRgzMpy8
Railroad Song by Jim Croce
(43) Railroad Song Jim Croce with Lyrics - YouTube
That song is from the 1979 posthumous release The Faces I've Been. That album also contains the excellent song Railroads And Riverboats.
SeeYou190 John-NYBW I only watched the first episode so I don't know what the theme song sounded like. . Same here. That show was awful. The only thing I remember was noticing the track gauge was super-wide when running through the desert, but switched back to 4'-8-1/2" when the train pulled into the station. -Kevin
John-NYBW I only watched the first episode so I don't know what the theme song sounded like.
.
I don't even remember it well enough to know it was awful but it must have been since I only watched the first episode. I had just gotten back into model railroading a few years before that so I really wanted to like it. It must have been a disappointment.
I think Model Railroader did a story about the models used for that show. Looks like they sunk a lot of dough into it for little reward.