Train songs

[csxengineer98]

Doug Macleod... THE NEW PANAMA LIMITED

http://www.doug-macleod.com/music.html 

got to the very bottom of the list..you can listen to a 30 second clip of it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EiRGJTMZyI

to watch him preform it... 

csx engineer 

[Ishmael]

What's your favorite train-related song?



My favorites include Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe as sung by Bing Crosby, and Chattanooga Choo-Choo as recorded by Glenn Miller.

(1) Mother's Lying in a Box in the Baggage Coach Ahead (an awful piece, but it's got a great title)

(2) Hey Engineer! (novelty tune spoofing all the songs about taking trains back to the South)

(3) This Train Don't Carry No Gamblers (Turk Murphy novelty version)

(4) Two-Nineteen Blues (only recording I know was by Jelly Roll Morton in a Library of Congress interview in 1941) 

(5) The Rock Island Line (1950's novelty version)

(6) Charlie and the MTA (which is actually set to a much older railroad tune - it may be Wreck of the Old 97 but, off the top of my head, I'm not sure)

(7) The Trolley Song (from Meet Me In St. Louis)

(8) Shuffle Off to Buffalo (from 42nd Street)

 

For number 6, are you referring to the Smother's Brothers song of the late 60s, early 70s? 

The Smothers Brothers may well have done #6 (they did lots of funny stuff) but it wasn't by them.  It was originally done as a campaign song for a mayoral candidate in Boston about 1949 or so.  That's the reason for the last chorus about fighting the fare increase by electing "George O'Brien" (he lost).  It was then made famous by a group in the 1950's but offhand, I don't remember who they were.

By the way, another interesting but obscure train piece is the "Great Crush Collision March".  It's a piano piece (no words) written to commemorate a staged train wreck on the MKT in Texas in 1896 which didn't come out as planned (the boilers exploded and sent shrapnel into the crowd).  The promoter was the aptly named William Crush, the railroad's General Passenger Agent, hence the title. The piece is noteworthy because it was written by ragtime composer Scott Joplin, and was one of his first published pieces (it may have been his first), predating his ragtime pieces.

The 1950's group was the Kingston Trio, a folk group. The tune was from "The Ship that Never Returned", but parts of the melody are also in "The Wreck of Old 97". Good melodies can always be adapted.

Choo Choo Ch'boogie was recorded in the 40's by Louis Jordan, but I don't know if he was the originator. It was my Uncle Elmer's favorite song. He worked for the Wabash. He's also the man who made a railfan out of me, may he rest in peace.

 

 

[Falcon48]

What's your favorite train-related song?



My favorites include Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe as sung by Bing Crosby, and Chattanooga Choo-Choo as recorded by Glenn Miller.

(1) Mother's Lying in a Box in the Baggage Coach Ahead (an awful piece, but it's got a great title)

(2) Hey Engineer! (novelty tune spoofing all the songs about taking trains back to the South)

(3) This Train Don't Carry No Gamblers (Turk Murphy novelty version)

(4) Two-Nineteen Blues (only recording I know was by Jelly Roll Morton in a Library of Congress interview in 1941) 

(5) The Rock Island Line (1950's novelty version)

(6) Charlie and the MTA (which is actually set to a much older railroad tune - it may be Wreck of the Old 97 but, off the top of my head, I'm not sure)

(7) The Trolley Song (from Meet Me In St. Louis)

(8) Shuffle Off to Buffalo (from 42nd Street)

 

For number 6, are you referring to the Smother's Brothers song of the late 60s, early 70s? 

The Smothers Brothers may well have done #6 (they did lots of funny stuff) but it wasn't by them.  It was originally done as a campaign song for a mayoral candidate in Boston about 1949 or so.  That's the reason for the last chorus about fighting the fare increase by electing "George O'Brien" (he lost).  It was then made famous by a group in the 1950's but offhand, I don't remember who they were.

By the way, another interesting but obscure train piece is the "Great Crush Collision March".  It's a piano piece (no words) written to commemorate a staged train wreck on the MKT in Texas in 1896 which didn't come out as planned (the boilers exploded and sent shrapnel into the crowd).  The promoter was the aptly named William Crush, the railroad's General Passenger Agent, hence the title. The piece is noteworthy because it was written by ragtime composer Scott Joplin, and was one of his first published pieces (it may have been his first), predating his ragtime pieces.

[Cris_261]

Here's a couple of songs that don't have anything to do with trains other than one song has the word "train" in the title, and the other has a railroad related line in the lyrics.

The Farm - Groovy Train

 

Sisters of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection (contains the line "once a railroad, now it's done")

[alphas]

I'm glad to see someone else remembered Stonewall Jackson's SMOKE ALONG THE TRACKS.  This was one of the all-time best country train songs.  I seem to recall it was the "B" side on his big crossover hit "WATERLOO"--but I can't swear to it. 

[SSW9389]

Born in Kingsland, Arkansas in a shotgun house backed up to the Cotton Belt main was Johnny Cash. His uncle was a Cotton Belt engineer. So naturally my favorite is Ridin' on the Cotton Belt from The Last Gunfighter Ballad album from 1977. It's a song about his daddy hopping a train to get home.  

[The Old Man]

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by The Band.  Sounds like a group of civil war era musicians who somehow got their hands on electric instruments.

Also note the sound of the horns in their song The Unfaithful Servant.  They come in right after the line, "I can hear the whistle blowing."  It will transport you to another time.

[wgnrr]

Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Steel Rail Blues, The Watchman's Gone, all written by Gordon Lightfoot.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

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"There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run, when the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun, long before the white man, and long before the wheel, when the green, dark forest was too silent to be real." Gordon Lightfoot

Ditto to that!

Canadian Railroad Trilogy is not only my favorite railroad song, is is my favorite song, period.

Phil

[Anonymous]

I am sending you a 6 box set of "Train Songs For Train song Haters"

[Joe the Photog]

In the late 90s, a teenage girl named Shannon Curfman released a song called "No Riders." She's no Backstreet Britney Agulera. It's a really good blues song and she plays guitar on it. Not sure who wrote it.

 http://www.shannoncurfman.com/noriders.htm

 

[Ted Marshall]

Does "C'mon N Ride It (The Train)" by the Quad City DJ's qualify as a train song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9vZ_akgmXU

 

[Tharmeni]

 

"The Day After Tomorrow Is Coming On A Train" (also called the Burlington Northern Song) is one of my favorites.

 

 

[bajadog]

Another suggestion, Harry Nillson's, "Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore."  Great song.

[myred02]

- City of New Orleans by Johnny Cash

- Tuesday's Gone (mentions a train many times) The Metallica cover is my personal favorite.

 -Brandon

[Ishmael]

Have any of you guys ever heard of Jimmie Rogers? The Blue Yodeler? He was the first singin hobo ! Wrote many many songs about the railroad..Also Stonewall Jackson did a song called Smoke Along the Track..Danny

Glad to hear some of you younger fellows have heard of Jimmie Rodgers. His version of "Waiting for a Train" is a classic and I have it on a CD of country songs. He died of tuberculosis, and I read where he had to have a bed handy during his last recording session so he could lay down and catch his breath between songs. Sad story.

I like John Prine and Steve Goodman's version of City of New Orleans. After all, Steve wrote it.

Leadbelly's version of Rock Island Line. Bill Monroe's version of Orange Blossom Special is another of my favorites.

Lots of good RR songs. Some other songs with references to trains in them, such as "Blues in the Night." ("Hear that lonesome whistle, blowin' cross the trestle, woo-ee)

[vlmuke]

Here's one the wife suggested

Crazy Train By Ozzy

or Runaway Train by Soul Asylum

[cnwfan51]

   All of the above plus  We're great big rollin Railroad the music from the Union Pacific railroad commericals in the early 70s    :arry

[bajadog]

City of New Orleans - Arlo

Casey Jones - Grateful Dead

 

woof-woof

[ChuckCobleigh]

 

(2) Hey Engineer! (novelty tune spoofing all the songs about taking trains back to the South)

Which, of course, brings to mind Hey Porter, Johnny Cash's first hit record about taking a train back to the South, and a darned enjoyable one even to this day.  Like it when it comes up in the iPod.

[locomutt]

What's your favorite train-related song?



My favorites include Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe as sung by Bing Crosby, and Chattanooga Choo-Choo as recorded by Glenn Miller.

(1) Mother's Lying in a Box in the Baggage Coach Ahead (an awful piece, but it's got a great title)

(2) Hey Engineer! (novelty tune spoofing all the songs about taking trains back to the South)

(3) This Train Don't Carry No Gamblers (Turk Murphy novelty version)

(4) Two-Nineteen Blues (only recording I know was by Jelly Roll Morton in a Library of Congress interview in 1941) 

(5) The Rock Island Line (1950's novelty version)

(6) Charlie and the MTA (which is actually set to a much older railroad tune - it may be Wreck of the Old 97 but, off the top of my head, I'm not sure)

(7) The Trolley Song (from Meet Me In St. Louis)

(8) Shuffle Off to Buffalo (from 42nd Street)

 

For number 6, are you referring to the Smother's Brothers song of the late 60s, early 70s? 

[JoeKoh]

well there is a song by blackfoot called "train train".It really makes you think about how a train rolls down the line.

stay safe

Joe

[Falcon48]

What's your favorite train-related song?



My favorites include Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe as sung by Bing Crosby, and Chattanooga Choo-Choo as recorded by Glenn Miller.

(1) Mother's Lying in a Box in the Baggage Coach Ahead (an awful piece, but it's got a great title)

(2) Hey Engineer! (novelty tune spoofing all the songs about taking trains back to the South)

(3) This Train Don't Carry No Gamblers (Turk Murphy novelty version)

(4) Two-Nineteen Blues (only recording I know was by Jelly Roll Morton in a Library of Congress interview in 1941) 

(5) The Rock Island Line (1950's novelty version)

(6) Charlie and the MTA (which is actually set to a much older railroad tune - it may be Wreck of the Old 97 but, off the top of my head, I'm not sure)

(7) The Trolley Song (from Meet Me In St. Louis)

(8) Shuffle Off to Buffalo (from 42nd Street)

[Chris30]

Here's a good one for you...

There's this singer/songwritter by the name of Todd Snider who does rock, country, folk, just about anything. He's also very funny. Anyway, he's playing a show at this dive bar in Kansas City called Knuckleheads and he starts talking about a song of his called The Train Song. It's about a deceased friend who always used to call him over and ask him to play some train songs. So, he starts playing the song and two seconds later there's a train horn. The bar, it turns out, it right up against some railroad tracks in KC. Mr. Snider keeps playing The Train Song as the horm blasts a few more times and then you can hear the train go by behind the bar. Kinda spooky if you ask me.

CC

[joemcspadden]

Don't forget Johnny Cash's version of "The Wreck of the Old 97"

Joe Mc

[22dec]

My nine month old grand daughter loves this one-

Down at the station early in the morning

See the little Puffer Bellies all in a row

See the engine driver pull the little handle

Chug, chug, toot, toot

Off they go.


Don

[dsmith]

test

[dsmith]

My favorite Christmas toy train song:  "Little Toy Trains" by Roger Miller, also recorded as "Old Toy Trains".  If you ever recieved a toy train for Christmas as a child, this song has all the nostalgia you could ask for.

Little Toy Trains

Little toy trains, little toy tracks
Little toy drums, comin' from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed

Close your eyes, listen to the skies
All is calm, all is well
Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle and the jingle bells

Bringin' little toy trains and little toy tracks
Little toy drums, comin' from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed

So, close your eyes and listen to the skies
All is calm, all is well
Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle and the jingle bells

Bringin' little toy trains and little toy tracks
Little toy drums, comin' from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed

[penncentral2002]

Oh, I forgot a good one - "Outside the Trains Don't Run on Time" by Gang of Four

[spokyone]

Jimmie Rogers did work on the New Orleans & Northeastern as a brakeman and maybe other roads also. He moved to AZ and worked as a switchman for the SP for a short time. Trivia: Louis Armstrong played trumpet on one of his songs.
Here is pic of only movie he was in.