What's your favorite train song?

[dinwitty]

I recall as a kid listening to this 45 rpm "The Erie Lackawanna"

goes sorta...

Whadya do-a John

I pusha I pusha and I pusha

Where d-ya worka John?

On the Erie Lackawanawanawanawana, Erie Lackawan

 Just searched on it and it was also named "The Delaware Lackawanna" apparently a track gang song. Love to refind that exact record or song somewhere.

 

Other tune stuff

 

On the classical side,

Pacific 231, an orchestrated piece, but you should hear Isao Tomita's version, all electronic music.

A group called Von Ryans Express (which is NOT on that big list) has 2 tunes train related, practically the same song, one has lyrics, the other all musicated, and very cool.

 

[Rotorranch]

Jerry, Go and Ile That Car - Harry McClintock

(Anyone out there know what "Ile" means?  That's how it's spelled on the CD.  Judging from the context of the song, and fake Irish accent, I'd almost say it's "oil")

The only thing in english I could find is a Danish word.

 Danish

 Verb

ile

1. hurry

Rotor

[Steve_F]

Southern Pacific

 

by Neil Young

 

Southern Pacific
Down the mountainside
To the coastline
Past the angry tide
The mighty diesel whines

And the tunnel comes
And the tunnel goes
Around another bend
The giant drivers roll

I rode the highball
I fired the Daylight
When I turned around 65
I couldn't see right

It was "Mr. Jones,
We've got to let you go
It's company policy
You've got pension though."

Roll on Southern Pacific
Roll on
On your silver rails
Roll on Southern Pacific
On your silver rails
Through the moonlight

I put in my time
I put in my time
Now I'm left to roll
Down the long decline

I ain't no brake man
Ain't no conductor
But I would be though
If I was younger

Roll on Southern Pacific
On your silver rails
On your silver rails
Roll on Southern Pacific
Roll on
On your silver rails

[fireman216]

Duke Ellington rocks!!....don't forget Josh Turner and "Long Black Train"....

[GTX765]

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

Night Train - Guns and Roses

Bring it on home - Led Zepplin

Train of Consequences - Megadeth

 

[markpierce]

The next time I hear it I'll remember the title.

Mark

[twhite]

Here is a lengthy list of railroad songs:  

http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/songs.html

 My personal favorite ? Duke Ellington's band doing "Take the A train".  

 Grin,
 Stein

 

 

 

Stein:

My favorite:  Duke Ellington's band doing ANYTHING!!!  But "Take The A Train" is an absolute classic!

Tom

[tatans]

The absolute train song, of course, "Petticoat Junction"

[sallesublime]

GREAT thread!

I'd have to vote for:

Jerry, Go and Ile That Car - Harry McClintock

(Anyone out there know what "Ile" means?  That's how it's spelled on the CD.  Judging from the context of the song, and fake Irish accent, I'd almost say it's "oil")

Train Whistle Nightmare - Joe "Cannonball" Lewis

(Laughed my backside off!)

I Like Trains - Fred Eaglesmith and the Flying Squirrels

(15 miles from Arkadelphia, right near the Texas border,

traffic was stopped at a railway crossing, I took it to the shoulder.

I stoked the kettle, I put it to the metal, I shook the gravel loose.

I missed the train, but I was happy with a glimps of the caboose, cause I like trains...)

And by far, the best, So Many Roads - Otis Rush

Incidentally, the first 2 songs are from a CD called Train 45 that I got on amazon a couple months ago.  Lots of great train songs!

Nathan

[xdford]

Hi All

What about Gordon Lightfoots "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" and "Steel Rail Blues"? The Trilogy song is a fantastic history song, while City of New Orleans" did make airplay here in Australia circa 1973. Lightfoots songs did not do so here at least. The other that springs to mind is "Midnight Flyer" by the Eagles... hey am I showing my age or not?

BTW My website has been updated  www.xdford.digitalzones.com

Regards from Down Under

 

Trevor 

 

 

[Rotorranch]

Blackfoot's "Train, Train".

Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones".

Ozark Mountain Daredevils' "Chicken Train".

Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia".

Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".

Taj Mahal & Blues Brothers "She Caught the Katy".

Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin".

Aerosmith's "Train Kept A Rollin"

Any Blues train song.

[stokesda]

"Long Train Runnin" by the Doobie Brothers

"Train Kept A Rollin" by Aerosmith

"Midnight in Montgomery" by Alan Jackson (Off somewhere a midnight train is slowly passing by, I could hear that whistle moaning "I'm so lonesome I could cry"...) 

"Boondocks" by Little Big Town (I can hear that lullaby of a midnight train...)

"Everything's Changed" by Lonestar (That westbound Santa Fe don't stop here anymore...)

"Raining in Baltimore" by Counting Crows (I can always hear a freight train, baby if I listen real hard...)

I know there's more but that's all I could come up with off the top of my head.

[loathar]

The Doors-Black Train song.

[Rotorranch]

Janice Joplin: Me and Bobby Mcgee

Arlo Guthrie: City of New Orleans

Both of which played on the AM rock radio station while I was rebuilding my layout to it's "almost" current configuration.

Rotor

How is "Me and Bobby McGee" a railroad song? 

I vote for "Chatanooga Choo Choo" as sung by Gene Wilder in "Young Frankenstein".

Harry...maybe not completely about trains, but...

"Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train
And I's feeling nearly as faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
It rode us all the way to New Orleans.

I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna,
I was playing soft while Bobby sang the blues.
Windshield wipers slapping time, I was holding Bobby's hand in mine,
We sang every song that driver knew..."

Rotor

 

[PASMITH]

Sentemental Journey

This Train Don't Stop Here Any More

 

Wow, Sentimental Journey seems a little too tame. Watching ARTHILL's slide show leads me to conclude that Art Hill, John Allen, Malcolm Furlow and John Olson may all have been base jumpers before they were model railroaders.

Peter Smith, Memphis

[chutton01]

No love for Driver 8 by REM (Wikipedia entry)?

The '80s are truely dead...

[steinjr]

Here is a lengthy list of railroad songs:  

http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/songs.html

 My personal favorite ? Duke Ellington's band doing "Take the A train".  

 Grin,
 Stein

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Chalk up one more "City of new Orleans" ...

However, "The Freight Train Boogie" is a fun song.

[Grampys Trains]

Hi all: "Wabash Cannon Ball" on a player piano.  The faster you pedal, the faster the tempo.

[HarryHotspur]

Janice Joplin: Me and Bobby Mcgee

Arlo Guthrie: City of New Orleans

Both of which played on the AM rock radio station while I was rebuilding my layout to it's "almost" current configuration.

Rotor

How is "Me and Bobby McGee" a railroad song? 

I vote for "Chatanooga Choo Choo" as sung by Gene Wilder in "Young Frankenstein".

[Texas Zepher]

Add one more vote for "City of New Orleans" Arlo Guthrie

Make that yet another "vote".   I do like the "choo chooing" insturments in background of Johnny Cash's version, but the rest isn't as smoothy integrated for that special balance a good song needs. 

[jwhitten]

 

If you ask my son, its "I've been working on the railroad". On the other hand, he's one and that's the only train song he's ever heard :)

As for me, I think my favorite is "City of New Orleans".... "I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done"

[BlueHillsCPR]

People Get Ready - Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart on vocals.

Orange Blossom Special - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs

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

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash 

Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez 

EDIT: Oh yeah!  Spanish Train - Chris DeBurgh 

[ChessieFan13]

+1 to orange blossom special and the wabash cannon ball

[jamnest]

Add one more vote for "City of New Orleans" Arlo Guthrie

 

[cregil]

I would add:

• 500 Miles - Peter Paul and Mary
• I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow - The Siggy Bottom Boys

Listen to the rhythm of that second song.  Besides the lyrics, the music evokes steam engine rhythm. 

I first noticed this same influence of railroad steam technology in music when listening to an Elvis Presley CD while watching a series of video clips from the 30’s of steam trains.  The video and music were virtually in sync no matter what song played.

Johnny B Good (Chuck Berry) comes to mind as recognition of this connection, “Strummin’ to rhythm that the drivers made” as well as Steve Goodman’s,

Mothers with their babes asleep,
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they dream (feel).

Pretty neat.  Makes me wonder if part of the odd attraction we all seem to share for trains may have something to do with the mysterious human appreciation of (and creation of) music.  Perhaps some of us hear a train, and hear music?

Goodness.  I am thinking too much.  I need to go replace a piece of track or something!

Crews

[Johnnny_reb]

It would seem that "The City Of New Orleans" is going to take the lead.

And I forgot "Hawk Snow". Here's two more.

Hank_Snow_-_Hobo_Bill's_Last_Ride.mp3
Hank_Snow_-_One_More_Ride.mp3

[twhite]

Probably not a 'classic train' song, but my favorite is "Follow the River" which was sung by Jimmy Stewart--of all people--in the fine railroad western movie NIGHT PASSAGE.

Tom

[CPPedler]

 

My favorite is Canadian Pacific by George Hamilton IV.    CPPedler

[ARTHILL]

Sentemental Journey

This Train Don't Stop Here Any More