These posts are all great, but there are some wonderful old dark railroad songs also. In this category listen to:
Railroad Bill
Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man
Did any body mention, "CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO" or "THE LONG BLACK TRAIN".
HAVE A (HIGH) BALL!!!!!!
"Morning Train (9:00 to 5:00)" by Sheena Easton
"Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight
"Love on a Real Train" by Tangerine Dream (no lyrics, but was used for background music for the L scenes in the movie "Risky Business.")
It's always interesting how quickly these threads lose the original topic - which in this case, was asking about railroad songs that are NOT about steam trains / steam engines (i.e. electric or diesels only) !!
Being someone that spent most of the 80's soaking up all I could of the Grateful Dead, I immediatley thought of "Casey Jones" Or a couple of traditional arrangements they played alot; "Monkey and the Engineer", and "Big Railroad Blues".
My three favorites:
1) City of New Orleans- Willie Nelson
2) Mystery Train - Elvis
3) Freight Train- Nancy Whiskey
The best of the best, IMO
Peter Smith, Memphis
A few years ago Stacey Kent gave us a new train/food song: Breakfast on the Morning Tram.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
I reccomend looking up the Steel Rails CD, named for a piece by Allison Crouse. There's a portrait of the PRR for s cover if I recall correctly.
Also, Charlie Daniels has done the Orange Blossom Special instrumental, as well as a ballad of an a train robbery pf sorts entitled Midnight Train.
-Morgan
I'm surprised that I haven't seen mentioned, "On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" seeing on how popular the railroad is to fans and modelers.
Our local library has a book from the early 1980s about some railroad songs and their origins. These are mostly bluegrass/folk type songs. Some names you would recognize (and have been mentioned) and some are not. One of them, and not already mentioned, "Billy Richardson's last ride" I have on an old tape from Grandpa Jones.
Someone already mentioned, "Texas, 1947." I have that one too. I've always wondered if it was meant to represent an actual railroad or train, or was more generic in nature. The only reference in it was that the train was "big and red and silver and she don't lay no smoke." Could refer to a few railroads streamlined passenger trains in Texas in that era.
Jeff
I think I have read all of this and I don't think i saw this one >>
"RIBBONS OF STEEL" by Johnny Cash also sung by Sharon Anderson
Johnboy out.............................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
How about "Gandy Dancer's Ball" by Frankie Laine?
Gee, actually why does this thread keep coming up frequently?
There are plenty of RR songs out there.
One only has to do a search here for such threads to come up with a list.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
steemtrayn Georgie and the IRT by Dave Van Ronk
Georgie and the IRT by Dave Van Ronk
Gosh...I thought I was the only one to have heard of this song and folk singer. Sang it many times in my folk era college daze of the 60's...still have the LP....originally from NYC so that subway town may have something to do with my affinity for this tune. You haven't lived until you've been to Times Square at 5 pm on Friday.... packed in to the IRT!!!
You just can't leave out the Union Pacific's "Great Big Rollin' Railroad". This appeared on series of TV commercials that were run in UP territory. They were more for the employees than to generate business, but sure were fun to watch!
The song and its background can be found at;
http://www.utahrails.net/up/rollin-rr.php
Bukka White's Panama Limited by Tom Rush
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
Was just listening to Doris Day singing "Sentimental Journey".
Dan
ef3 yellowjacket Must be that part of me that is French Canadian, but why no one mentioned "Canadian Railroad trilogy" by Gordon Lightfoot is a mystery, but that's OK, eh, you there?
Must be that part of me that is French Canadian, but why no one mentioned "Canadian Railroad trilogy" by Gordon Lightfoot is a mystery, but that's OK, eh, you there?
I did. And I mentioned another of Gordon Lightfoot's songs, "Steel Rail Blues" as well.
"Canadian Railroad Trilogy", is a favorite of mine, and has an epic quality about it. However, I don't think either song got much airplay in the US, and I only know of the songs from the albums.
JoAnne K come on now how could you forget these classics Drill ye tarriers, the Wreck of Old 97 the Wabash Cannonball the Little Red Caboose behind the train Paddy works on the Railroad The Rock Island Line This Train 500 Miles and FYI model Trains came BEFORE 1:1 trains... Philadelphia inventor John Fitch (who also built a steam boat 15 years before Fulton) built a working model steam locomotive in 1785. His model still exists and is displayed by the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus OH.
come on now how could you forget these classics
Drill ye tarriers,
the Wreck of Old 97
the Wabash Cannonball
the Little Red Caboose behind the train
Paddy works on the Railroad
The Rock Island Line
This Train
500 Miles
and FYI model Trains came BEFORE 1:1 trains... Philadelphia inventor John Fitch (who also built a steam boat 15 years before Fulton) built a working model steam locomotive in 1785. His model still exists and is displayed by the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus OH.
If you want to really crack up, check out Stan Freberg's version of the "Rock Island Line".
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Johnny Cash also had a song, on a late 70's album, called "Texas 1947", about the new streamlined Texas Special. (Even though he's a year early).
Dear Stein
I've been on this forum only a short while, but I always find your posts very informative, friendly, and encouraging.
Thank you very much, kind sir, for your wonderful contributions!
--Jaddie
Dear Friends
Here's my almost-three-year-old son's iTunes playlist:
This is the I Love Toy Trains soundtrack and is available on iTunes.
I'll add one more:
The late Chip Chase of the Woods Tea Company wrote The Fireman. It is a traditional-sounding balad that chronicles the career of an eary 20th century railroad fireman who shoveled coal for 30 years and was "set free" by the introduction of diesel locomotives, described in the lyrics as "An Iron mule, big and fast and powerful... ...and runs on diesel fuel."
The Woods Tea Company recorded it. It's worth looking up.
It's most often attributed to Arlo because his is th version that got the most radio airplay. I have several versions of the song, including Steve GOodman's original, Arlo's, and John Prine's. Each is slightly different, with the Goodman original being a faster tempo than most of the covers. Regardless of the performer, it's a song that really captures the declining state of the rialroads and the country in general in the early 1970's.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I hope I didn't sound too critical, Howmus. I thought it was Arlo Guthrie's also, but some years ago Trains had an article about the City of New Orleans. In a sidebar, they told the story about Steve Goodman and how he declined the limelight. Guthrie's song was very popular and I also enjoyed it.
Neil Young's "Southern Pacific" references both steam and diesel as a reference to the long but now ended railroad career of "Mr Jones"
When I'm not playing with my choo chos, I play clawhammner banjo, guitar and harmonica in an old timey folk string band. (www.newsoutherncowtippers.com) We have over 30 railroad songs in our repitoire, and that is only a drop in the bucket. Check our Norm Cohen's Long Steel Rails, and Katy Letcher Lyle's Scalded to Death by the Steam for openers. I'd guess there are literally several hundred railroad and railroad related songs. Just about every wreck over a century ago was documented by some kind of a song or verse.
HZ
Tuesday's Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd and was covered by Metallica about 10 years ago or so.
John Hartford gave us a couple:
Shiny Rails of Steel and Gentle on My Mind, both intensely romantic with a touch of railroad mystique.
An Duke Ellington provided a popular rendition of Billy Strayhorn's Take the A Train.
I'll add a couple of traditional songs that have apparently lost their connection with the original songwriter:
Clear the Track, Let the Bulgine Run (recently recorded by Woods Tea Company), and Railroad Worksong (recorded by the Notting Hillbillies).