What's your favorite train song?

[Johnnny_reb]

route_rock thanks for pointing out that one to me. I thought I edited that one out.

[galaxy]

I've been working on the rail-road,

all the live long day-yay-yay,

O, I've been working on the rail-road,

 just to pass the time away!!!

- G

[route_rock]

  No prob Johnny,When trucks became the rage there were folks songs written about them as well.Its almost like we had RR songs then right into trucking songs. I love that song btw I have been the guy behind that compact lol.

 

  

[PMeyer]

Train in Vain by The Clash.

Yeah, it's got nothing to do with trains, but the title is probably a play on Love In Vain and that song has got a train in it!

 

So alone I keep the wolves at bay. Nice!

 

[PMeyer]

"Silver Train" by the Rolling Stones.

 

[aloco]

Theme song from "Petticoat Junction" - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs

The theme song for 'Petticoat Junction' was written by Paul Henning and Curt Massey.  It was sung by Curt Massey.

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs did the theme song for the Beverly Hillbillies.  Lester Flatt played the guitar, Earl Scruggs played the banjo, and Jerry Scoggins sang the lyrics.

[ArtOfRuin]

I remember once during 1st grade music class my teacher would play a game: He would play a song on the piano where the notes sound like something and you have to guess what the song's about. He sang a song whose lyrics start with "The Rock Island line/it's a mighty fine line..." and the music had a "locomotive" sound to it. I was the only one who guessed it was about a railroad.  

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

Night Train - Guns and Roses

Bring it on home - Led Zepplin

Train of Consequences - Megadeth

 

 

Great minds think alike!

Also:

Willie Nelson: City of New Orleans 

Aerosmith: Train Kept A Rollin' (live)

Dropkick Murphys: Skinhead on the MBTA

Dethklok: Murder Train A Comin'

Songs with train related lyrics (not neccesarily about trains):

Every Time I Die: InRihab ("I tied the devil to the tracks/[can you hear the train coming?]/And I tied the tracks in a lover's knot around the finger of a beautiful girl...")

Anthrax: Antisocial ("You're a train ride to no importance")

And of course, my signature. 

[route_rock]

DETHKLOCK!!!!!!!!! lol I got hooked on that show now. Forgot No leaf clover sheesh am losing it badly

[Capt. Grimek]

Easy question: "Twilight on the Rails". It's an original I wrote which has gotten radio airplay on 125 NPR and University stations as well as some European stations. Favorable reviews in several international music magazines.
It's a "City of New Orleans-ish" mourning of the loss of the famous name/banner passenger trains.
My wife and I had a performing "Americana" folk-rock duo/band that played concert halls and regional festivals for 20 years. We still have a box or two of CDs and cassettes. Our styles ranged from Nautical to Country to Celtic to, well...railroadia!

I've often though of sending a copy to Arlo Guthrie's manager to see if he thinks Arlo could have a reprise hit! :-)

[jon grant]

Another Jethro Tull song - Journeyman, from the Heavy Horses album

Jon

[garyla]

Lots of votes here for "City of New Orleans," but I didn't see anyone mention Judy Collins' version.  If you've never heard it and you get a chance, check it out.  It's not a song you would especially pick for a female singer, but she did a GREAT job on it--my favorite--and I never was one of her big listeners.

I'd also vote for Johnny Cash's treatments of "Casey Jones," "Wreck of the Old 97" (live), and "Folsom Prison Blues" (live).  The last one was sort of a signature song for him; it was hard to top The Man in Black when he was singing about life behind bars.

[majortom]

I can't remember the name but it goes like this:

 Was down by a western water tank on a cold December day

Aboard that North bound freight tran, a dyin hobo lay

Beside him stood his comrade

With a low and drooping head

And people walkin by the train could hear what the hobo said.

 

I'm goin said the hobo

To a land that's fair and bright

Where the weather's warm and sunny

You can sleep out every night

Where hand outs grow on bushes

And people don't wear no socks

And little streams of alcohol come a tricklin through the rocks

 

Hark hark the engines comin

I'll catch her on the run

.....etc.

 

Anyway it was a great song.

Aside from that, I vote City of New Orleans

 

majortom

[Anonymous]

downbound train---Bruce springsteen,

City of New orleans- willie nelson version

 

Land of Hope and dreams:Bruce springsteen

[teen steam fan]

City Of New Orleans; Willy Nelson 

Long Black Train; Josh Turner

Rock Island Line: Johnny Cash

Love Train: Big and Rich

I also grew up on the Thomas and friends songs

[grayfox1119]

Mountain Railroad by Patsy Cline

City of New Orleans by Willie Nelson

Charlie on the MBTA by the Kingston Trio

[Bob Hayes]

Lots of good songs listed, but I have to say my favorite is "Great Big Rollin' Railroad". 

Bob Hayes

 

[HarryHotspur]

"Famous Blue Raincoat" - Jennnifer Warnes

[hobo9941]

It's not exactly a train song, but the Theme from Picnic, always reminds me of the movie, with William Holden and Kim Novak. Holden rides into town, and jumps down out of a freight car, in a little town in Kansas, and meets Novak, and decides to stay a while. Nice, feel good movie. Came along shortly after my summer of hoboing around the country. I could relate!

[Rotorranch]

Another one from Jethro Tull:

"Locomotive Breath"

In the shuffling madness
Of the locomotive breath,
Runs the all-time loser,
Headlong to his death.
He feels the piston scraping --
Steam breaking on his brow --
Thank God, he stole the handle and
The train won't stop going --
No way to slow down.
He sees his children jumping off
At the stations -- one by one.
His woman and his best friend --
In bed and having fun.
He's crawling down the corridor
On his hands and knees --
Old Charlie stole the handle and
The train won't stop going --
No way to slow down.
He hears the silence howling --
Catches angels as they fall.
And the all-time winner
Has got him by the balls.
He picks up Gideon's Bible --
Open at page one --
God stole the handle and
The train won't stop going --
No way to slow down.

Rotor

[Rotorranch]

  Ok time for an old trucker to clarify a few things here. The diesel in Bobby Mcgee is a a truck. Not a locomotive.Thumbing down is hitchhiking not hoboing.

OK...I'll accept that. I just assumed the diesel was a train from the first lines of the song, and "thumbing down" was creative license.

I see you also mentioned "Locomotive Breath" already.

Rotor

[jasperofzeal]

Night Train - Guns n Roses

Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

Train of Consequences - Megadeth

That'll be all for now....

[LD357]

 Hmmmm......Ozzy's Crazy Train isn't bad, it's been played out though, classic rock stations play it WAYYY too much.

  Train, Train from Blackfoot still rocks pretty good.

   Locomotive from Motorhead definitely rocks.

   Train of Consequences from MEGADETH is pretty good.

    Bullet Train from Judas Priest is good.

    The remake of Locomotive Breath by  Helloween is excellent.

    ....and in answer to Saltwater Cowboy.....YES....folks over 40 CAN still LOVE METAL!!!!

[berlingo]

I love this very old jazz number called " TAKE THE A TRAIN ".

[eeyore9900]

LOL, I remember playing "Take the "A" Train" in marching band almost 25 years ago-our director was quite "jazz" oriented, & it did make things fun for us trumpet players!

I could go on & on about fave train songs, being a music collector, my fortes being classic country & oldies in that order. Classic country offers so many, I don't know where to begin. But one that came to mind recently, & does anyone remember (I don't-since I was born in 1966) the goofy pop/rock song called "Click Clack" by "Dickey Doo & the Don'ts" Dickey Doo (real name Gerry Granahan) wrote the song on the train from New York to Philly. it came out in the early part of 1958.

Speaking of writing songs on trains (& I only found this out a few years ago) the "Orange Blossom Special", was written by 2 Florida natives, the Rouse Brothers, & wrote the song on the inaugural run of the SAL's "Orange Blossom Special" in 1939 heading to New York, as I understand.

Just some trivia from a train/music nut as I am.  

[modelmaker51]

Not the first railroad song(s) I can remember, but they are in my collection:

Last Train Home (instumental) (1987) - Pat Metheny

Hellbound Train (1972) - Savoy Brown

[MECman]

I also love "Take the A-Train". Duke Ellington fans should also check out "Track 360" from the Blues in Orbit album. It's an instrumental that truly captures the sound of a steam train. Some other favorite train songs.

The Midnight Special by Leadbelly
The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore by Michelle Shocked
The Hobo's Lullaby as sung by Nancy Griffith

Cheers,

David

[Cornboy]

I like Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath

 

[markpierce]

I like Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath

'"Locomotive Breath" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung. One of the song's highlights is its flute solo by rock flute master Ian Anderson. The lyrics, although open to interpretation, may be about a train wreck or, alternatively, about a man's life falling apart. The song receives frequent airplay on classic rock radio stations.'

I just pulled out my 36-year-old Aqualung album and played Locomotive Breath.  That took me back several  lifetimes (wives, homes, jobs, layouts, etc.)

Mark

[Texas Zepher]

I love this very old jazz number called " TAKE THE A TRAIN ".

I know that one.  I have it performed by some temporary band on a "Lucky Strike" promotional album from about 1962...

But the real reason for my post is that over the last week or so I rounded up and listened to every version of the "City of New Orleans" I could find.  I know there are other versions but I could not find copies to listen to.  My ranking results are:

1.  Arlo Guthrie - I really like how the train speeds up and slows down to emphasize different sections.  Volume changes from day to night and lets the listener feel the hush of darkness falling over the Mississipi Valley.
2.  Willie Nelson - the choo chooing instruments add some subtile background without being over powering.   Don't like how he paces or should I say doesn't pace "I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans". 
3.  John Denver - surprised me since I don't really like most of his work.  Has the right pacing.  A bit too much harmonica.
4.  Judie Collins - I like how she syncopates a few of the words better, has a better last phrase, but the over all effect of the song feels rushed.
5.  River City Ramblers - seems to be an attempt to copy Arlo Guthries version.
6.  Steve Goodman - how can you argue against the author, well the man just isn't a good singer.
7.  Glenn Yarbough - way too slow, I wanted to get off that train before it got to New Orleans and go to sleep.
8.  Seldom Scene - way too fast, the train sounds were too gimicky, no essence of a ballad here.
9.  Country Gentelmen - way too fast, almost corny, no concept of this being a sad event.
10.  Back Porch Mary - Fast but didn't feel rushed.  Once again it seemed obvious to me that the artist had no feeling or even concept of what the event was about and definitely didn't feel anything for it.  These were just words to put over his style of music and make another cut for an album.

I could listen to the top five here repeatedly, I would just as soon never hear the bottom 5 ever again.   I did decide that if the song doesn't elicit a sad emotional response then it hasn't been performed properly..... 

[Texas Zepher]

'"Locomotive Breath" ...The lyrics, although open to interpretation, may be about a train wreck or, alternatively, about a man's life falling apart.

My interpretation has always been that it was a person comparing his falling apart life to a train wreck.

I have this cut on a CD-4 (discrete quadraphonic) LP.  How sweet a sound it is, but not even close to my favorite train song though.