Great Train Songs...

[ramrod]

Duke Ellington's "Happy Go Lucky Local"

[Firelock76]

Holy jeez, how could I have forgotten Duke Ellington's  "Take the 'A'  Train"?   OK. it's about the subway, but it's still a train!

[Juniatha]

Hi folks

Uh-m ... what about this song

By the time I get to Phenix ...

Well , I think it doesn't really say if he travels by rail or by road - although I have always felt for some reason it's by rail  - let's see , the lyrics vary slightly …

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Frank Sinatra 

 

By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising.
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door.
She'll laugh when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
`Cause I've left that girl so many times before.

By the time I make Albuquerque she'll be working.
She'll probably stop for lunch and give me a call.
But she'll just hear the phone keep on ringing,

on the wall, that's all.

By the time I reach Oklahoma she'll be sleeping.
She'll turn softly and call my name out low.
And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her,
Though time and time again I tried to tell her so.
She just didn't know I would really go.

 

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix Lyrics - by Glen Campbell

 

By the time I get to Phoenix
She'll be rising
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door
She'll laugh, when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
Cause I've left that girl, so many times before

By the time I make Albuquerque
She'll be working
She'll probably stop at lunch,
and give me a call
But she'll just hear that phone keep on ringing
Off the wall, that's all

By the time I make Oklahoma
She'll be sleeping
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
And she'll cry, just to think, I'd really leave her
Though time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know,
I would really go

 

  

No , it doesn’t ( say if he travels by rail or by road ) .

So , we can make our choices and that’ll be for some passenger train connection ..

( hey , historians of passenger rail travel , here’s your challenge :

which trains could he have taken on this journey of no return ? )

.. because no farewell is as romantically-tragic or tragically-romantic or neither none of which , just sad or unnecessary , a regretful end of a series of misunderstandings or personal limits or the result of unbearable disappointment or unfulfilled love – oh , let’s leave it , people can make life difficult for other people .

If it wouldn’t be for good unwavering hope and some American optimism , where would it all end up ?

 

Regards

 

                   Juniatha

 

Links :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sesd9CvIsA

version by Johnny Rivers

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUg5p3BncuQ

version by Glen Campbell

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1pmBEZ4kr0

version with the 101 Strings Orchestra

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJoi2QpbiF4&feature=related

version by Jimmy Webb

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoEXwmxpCyM&feature=related

version by José Feliciano

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwwj631lBg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mrQMCWs83M&feature=related

versions by Frank Sinatra

 

 

[BaltACD]

While the song is lyrical - I don't believe it denotes the route of any particular train.  Looking to some old Official Guide timings & routing's .... While the SP's Eastbound Sunset Limited departed Phoenix in the 6 AM range, it did not operate via Albuquerque.  The Santa Fe's Eastbound Super Chief did call there about 1 PM and neither train had a routing through Oklahoma, with the Super Chief heading through Colorado & Kansas and the Sunset moving through Texas.  So I would guess the route might be US 66, a road which has had a number of other songs written about it.

Juniatha

Hi folks

Uh-m ... what about this song

By the time I get to Phenix ...

Well , I think it doesn't really say if he travels by rail or by road - although I have always felt for some reason it's by rail  - let's see , the lyrics vary slightly …

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Frank Sinatra 

 

By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising.
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door.
She'll laugh when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
`Cause I've left that girl so many times before.

By the time I make Albuquerque she'll be working.
She'll probably stop for lunch and give me a call.
But she'll just hear the phone keep on ringing,

on the wall, that's all.

By the time I reach Oklahoma she'll be sleeping.
She'll turn softly and call my name out low.
And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her,
Though time and time again I tried to tell her so.
She just didn't know I would really go.

 

 

By The Time I Get To Phoenix Lyrics - by Glen Campbell

 

By the time I get to Phoenix
She'll be rising
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door
She'll laugh, when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
Cause I've left that girl, so many times before

By the time I make Albuquerque
She'll be working
She'll probably stop at lunch,
and give me a call
But she'll just hear that phone keep on ringing
Off the wall, that's all

By the time I make Oklahoma
She'll be sleeping
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
And she'll cry, just to think, I'd really leave her
Though time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know,
I would really go

 

  

No , it doesn’t ( say if he travels by rail or by road ) .

So , we can make our choices and that’ll be for some passenger train connection ..

( hey , historians of passenger rail travel , here’s your challenge :

which trains could he have taken on this journey of no return ? )

.. because no farewell is as romantically-tragic or tragically-romantic or neither none of which , just sad or unnecessary , a regretful end of a series of misunderstandings or personal limits or the result of unbearable disappointment or unfulfilled love – oh , let’s leave it , people can make life difficult for other people .

If it wouldn’t be for good unwavering hope and some American optimism , where would it all end up ?

 

Regards

 

                   Juniatha

 

Links :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sesd9CvIsA

version by Johnny Rivers

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUg5p3BncuQ

version by Glen Campbell

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1pmBEZ4kr0

version with the 101 Strings Orchestra

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJoi2QpbiF4&feature=related

version by Jimmy Webb

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoEXwmxpCyM&feature=related

version by José Feliciano

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwwj631lBg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mrQMCWs83M&feature=related

versions by Frank Sinatra

 

 

[samfp1943]

A song about the WP&Y RR by Hank Karr:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOkbyueLfWI&feature=related

 

"Life is like a Mountain Railroad" by Patsy Cline

 @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9rwNQAeQgg&NR=1 ( WP&Y)

or this featuring an LMS (6114) Steam also by Patsy Cline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wck03Y72340&feature=related

 

Or This :"Silverton"  by C.W.McCall:

@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a_19VDqQgo&feature=related

[Falcon48]

Here's one I'll bet no one's ever heard before.  It's called "Hey Engineer" (they don't write 'em like this anymore):

Hey engineer, is this train goin’ south

Back to that Mason-Dixon line

Hey engineer, is this train goin’, south

Back to that honeysuckle wine

Hey engineer, is this train going south

Back to my old stompin’ grounds

Hey engineer, if this train’s goin’ south

For God’s sake, turn it around

 

Why don’t they sing about Jersey

Where the sun is shinin’ all the time

Well they always sing about Georgia

And the girls from Caroline

Now, those girls from Georgia are peaches

And the girls from Caroline, they ain’t slow

But why don’t they sing about Jersey

Where the big fat tomatoes grow

 

[seppburgh2]

When I first heard this song, I was a little boy growing up in the NY tri-state area.  Though it was a sad song and he was heading out on a bus.  To me, the only train was the Phoebe Snow and she didn't run that far west!

[Falcon48]

Here's another obscure train song (not a novelty number like "Hey Engineer").  It's done as an Irish jig.  The UP Chorale did a recording of it a couple of years ago.

FILLIMIOORIOORIA

 

VERSE 1

In eighteen hundred and forty one

I put me corduroy breaches on

I put me corduroy breaches on

To work upon the railway

 

REFRAIN

Fillimiooriooria, Fillimiooriooria

Fillimiooriooria

To work upon the railway

 

VERSE 2

In eighteen hundred and forty two

I left the old world for the new

T'was sorry luck that brought me through

To work upon the railway

(to Refrain )

 

Verse 3

In eighteen hundred and forty three

T'was then I met sweet Biddy McGee

An elegant wife she’s been to me

While working on the railway

(to Refrain)

 

VERSE 4

In eighteen hundred and forty seven

Sweet Biddy McGee she went to heaven

If she left one child, she left eleven

To work upon the railway

(to Refrain))

 

[Juniatha]

Hi folks

 

Uh-well – about the Phoenix song we were all wrong :  No trains , nor Route sixty-six , no bus – it was by airplane ( and that would also appear to better fit the time table , no ?)  At least this looks like a window viewed from inside a jet plane – see at 1:02 in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1vQIboDxUo&feature=related

By the time I get to Poenix – Bobby Goldsboro

– calm , nicely sung , with pictures to the tunes , air plane window at 1:02

Here are yet another few versions I like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVOt-PLsmKc&feature=related

By the time I get to Poenix – Erma Franklin

-- definitely sings with a touch soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxS3i-tb8uI&feature=related

By the time I get to Poenix – Chet Atkins

 -- nice guitar playing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbpMDuUp1ao&feature=related

By the time I get to Phoenix – John Walker – that’s a different kind of singing , more raunchy interesting moody voice , nice orchestra background

John Walker who founded ‘the Walker Brothers’ of famed

‘The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore’

-- hoooh wow – wasn’t that one haunting deep toned ‘world’s end since you don’t love me anymore’ type of song ? 

            Ok , you ask “But where are the trains?” Here they come :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFWZMmboIm4&feature=related

Homeward bound – Sandie Saw & John Walker

 -- interesting duet of the S&G song , some nice British Railways station scenes with Sandy on the platform

 

All this may raise a question : how can we hang on to all these dreams ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CswH3FeTQ08&feature=related

Mimi Farina – How can we hang on to a dream

( who the heck is Mimi Farina ? Joan Baez’ sister , visibly )

… or in a totally different interpretation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RSRoM_fc9I

Hang on to a dream – The Nice

… and now the dream becomes still larger and turns into an uncanny powerful journey to the unknown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKemBE5dguQ&feature=related

Hang on to a dream – Kattoo

 

And with that I leave you to your own dreams

– good night

                      Juniatha