Eight questions for a man who wrote and sings a song called “Norfolk Southern”

If you haven’t heard it yet, there’s a new song out called “Norfolk Southern” by Nashville’s Jason Lee McKinney. (Watch the official music video for "Norfolk Southern.") As you can imagine, it’s pretty popular with a southeastern railroad that paints its locomotives black, shows its history and pride with heritage units and steam excursions, and turns a nice profit. Heck, NS even has its own band, The Lawmen, and unless I’m mistaken, the company is the only Class 1 railroad with its own music group. McKinney’s song also reminds me that no other industry inspires songwriters or singers – only railroading. The railroading business is just so exciting and unique that it elicits an emotional response that can be transferred into notes and lyrics. I like that. I asked McKinney eight questions, and here’s what he told us at Trains.

How'd you get interested in doing a song about Norfolk Southern?

“My father worked for Norfolk Southern for many years; in fact he retired from there. The beginning of the song came about before the song had a title, I found a picture of my parents when they were young, and it made me realize at a point in their lives they had hopes and dreams and life was full of potential; the future and its possibilities were endless, and now its not. That’s not necessarily a negative… it just is; it’s just life. When it came to the chorus of the song, I couldn’t find a metaphor for life moving on, then the thought of how my dad worked for the Southern Railway and once a train starts going, its really hard to stop it, and that is how time is; now matter what you do, it just keeps coming.”

What's your railroad background?

“I’m the son of a railroad worker. My dad was a clerk [at Evansville, Ind.] and as a kid I would visit him, climb on the trains, eat the ice from the office machine, sit at his desk with him.”

Why do you think people write songs about railroads and trains? What's the fascination?

“The short answer is: The transcontinental railroad connected the coast of the vast geography that is the U.S. The railroad is the fabric of American history. It played a major role in forming our culture, our society. Its an imagery that is packed with so much that it allows you to say more with a lyric about a train than you can in describing the same things without that metaphor.”

Was the railroad helpful? If so, in what ways?

“Norfolk Southern was amazing. Stacey Hugo [in public relations] contacted me and at first I thought I was going to be in some legal trouble because I honestly used the name without asking, but it was the exact opposite; they were helpful and all on board. They are still huge supporters and honestly have become friends. It has truly been an amazing connection that I am very grateful for.”

When you see a train go by, what comes to mind?

“Honestly, my first thought is that I’m going to be late to wherever it is I am headed to, but then while sitting there waiting I start think about my dad.”

Are there more train songs out there by you? By others?

“There aren’t any other train songs by JLMB but that doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future“

What's been the reaction to the song? Any feedback that surprised you or delighted you in particular?

“Norfolk Southern was not the song we thought would be the one that would instantly connect with people… never thought it would be the most popular song on the album, but people really love it. The railheads particularly have been very supportive and enthusiastic about the song and that is amazing. Really, anymore with the way the music industry is, it is not really about mass media and radio, its about connecting with a group of people in a meaningful way and this song certainly has. Now to be honest I would love to say it was a grand plan we had as a band to reach out to railheads but it wasn’t. It was just me writing a song about aging, living every moment to the fullest through the lens of my parents and that my Dad worked for the railroad. In a way though that makes it better, the connection people have to the song, because it is more real and authentic.”