# Train Songs!



## Bob Dylan

Watching some of the great videos on you tube and posted here brings to mind the following:

What are your favorite all time train songs???(Limit of 5 please!)Mine are:

1)Chattanoga Choo-Choo

2)City of New Orleans

3)Midnight Train to Georgia

4)This Train Doesnt Stop Here No More

5)Wabash Cannon Ball

***Honorable Mention: "Rocket from Decatur"(a friend of mine wrote it/hes a traveling folk singer in the West/Mid-West)


----------



## DET63

"The Eyes of Texas"—I mean, "I've Been Working on the Railroad."


----------



## NorthCoastHiawatha

1. City of New Orleans (John Denver version)

2. City of New Orleans (Johnny Cash version)

3. City of New Orleans (Arlo Guthrie version)


----------



## manchacrr

1. City of New Orleans (Arlo Guthrie version)

2. Chattanooga Choo-Choo

3. Casey Jones (Johnny Cash version)

4. Midnight Train to Georgia

5. Waiting For a Train


----------



## DET63

Johnny Cash singing "City of New Orleans"

Even though the most popular version of this song was recorded by Arlo Guthrie, you'd think that Johnny not only recorded it first, but wrote it—and even lived it. I don't think there was ever a train song that he sang that he didn't own.

_Edit: fixed minor typo._


----------



## Amtrak OBS Gone Freight

"Orange Blossom Special" - Johnson Mountain Boys & Bill Monroe's 1930s version (bluegrass versions) & Boxcar Willie (country version)

"Wabash Cannonball" - Roy Acuff 1938 version

"Fireball Mail" - Roy Acuff 1940s version

"Night Train to Memphis" - Roy Acuff version

"On The Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe" - Johnny Mercer 1940s version

And most of the songs the others have posted so far....

OBS gone freight...


----------



## stntylr

Whenever I hear the "Chattanoga Choo-Choo" I can't help but think of the movie "M*A*S*H" where they hear the song over the PA in Japanese.


----------



## como

1. Rock Island Line - Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee

2. She Caught the Katy - Taj Mahal

3. This Train is Bound for Glory - Woodie Guthrie ?

4. Hey Porter - Johnny Cash

5. Back Up Train - Al Green


----------



## casual001

The first one i thought of was :

Long twin silver line//// Bob Seger and the silver bullet band//// Against the wind album


----------



## Bill Haithcoat

1.On the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (hands down, I am told I played this constantly as a child.Sometimes I can find it in the slot machine at Johnny Rockets, When I do I play it about three times)

2.Orange Blossom Special

3.Chattanooga Choo Choo

4.City of New Orleans

5.Midnght train to Georgia


----------



## rrdude

1. Chat Choo Choo

2. Caught The Katy

3. ATSF

4. CONO

5.Orange Blossom

Honorable Mention. Wabash Cannonball.

I can still remember that tune being played as background for a news report on the train-offs back in the mid-late sixties. I thought it was a local Detroit station, but in hind-sight, it could have been on Uncle Walter's broadcast. (When I was that age, "news was news" I din't knw diff between local and national..........) Stuck with me though, just like Mike Wallace's report on 60 Minutes, of mud-pumping trains "speeding along" at 10 miles an hour, just after AMTRAK took over in '71. "Is This Any Way To Run a Railroad?"


----------



## Guest

Casey Jones by The Grateful Dead


----------



## Guest

jimhudson said:


> Watching some of the great videos on you tube and posted here brings to mind the following:
> What are your favorite all time train songs???(Limit of 5 please!)Mine are:
> 
> 1)Chattanoga Choo-Choo
> 
> 2)City of New Orleans
> 
> 3)Midnight Train to Georgia
> 
> 4)This Train Doesnt Stop Here No More
> 
> 5)Wabash Cannon Ball
> 
> ***Honorable Mention: "Rocket from Decatur"(a friend of mine wrote it/hes a traveling folk singer in the West/Mid-West)


"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash


----------



## Trainmans daughter

1). "This Train is Bound For Glory"

2). "Morningtown" (A children's lullaby - "Rockin', Rollin', Ridin', out along the bay. All bound for Morningtown, many miles away")


----------



## MikefromCrete

DET63 said:


> Johnny Cash signing "City of New Orleans"
> Even though the most popular version of this song was recorded by Arlo Guthrie, you'd think that Johnny not only recorded it first, but wrote it—and even lived it. I don't think there was ever a train song that he sang that he didn't own.


The song was written by the late Steve Goodman, who's also famous for "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request."

Goodman attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and one day while riding from Chicago back to school decided to stay on the train and rode through to New Orleans, or so the story goes.


----------



## oldtimer

MikefromCrete said:


> DET63 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Johnny Cash signing "City of New Orleans"
> Even though the most popular version of this song was recorded by Arlo Guthrie, you'd think that Johnny not only recorded it first, but wrote it—and even lived it. I don't think there was ever a train song that he sang that he didn't own.
> 
> 
> 
> The song was written by the late Steve Goodman, who's also famous for "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request."
> 
> Goodman attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and one day while riding from Chicago back to school decided to stay on the train and rode through to New Orleans, or so the story goes.
Click to expand...

There is also a story that Steve Goodman wrote the song as he rode the train to New Orleans to work for a presidential candidate.

He also wrote the song that WGN uses for cub broadcasts, "Go Cubs Go" and I also believe that he wrote "Margaritaville" made famous by Jimmy Buffet.


----------



## spot1181

1. Amtrak Blues Alberta Hunter

2. Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne

3. Petticoat Junction Theme

4. Gandy Dancer's Ball Frankie Laine

5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down The Band, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash


----------



## DivMiler

City of New Orleans

Rock Island Line (sung by Little Richard with Fishbone)

The Gambler

(Charlie on the) M.T.A.

John Henry, Steel Driving Man


----------



## JAChooChoo

*Morning Train *Sheena Easton

*Nina Pretty Ballerina* Abba

*Shuffle Off To Buffalo *Hal Kemp


----------



## sky12065

jimhudson said:


> Watching some of the great videos on you tube and posted here brings to mind the following:
> What are your favorite all time train songs???


Well, this ain't exactly a train song, but I sure can close my eyes and imagine a train dancing merrily along the rail to the beat of the music with The Traveler hanging half out of the train's cab window waiving enthusiastically at everybody they go by! ^_^

Check out "Shuckin' the Corn" at *YouTube*!


----------



## TampAGS

jimhudson said:


> Watching some of the great videos on you tube and posted here brings to mind the following:
> What are your favorite all time train songs???(Limit of 5 please!)


This was the topic of a thread from a few months back:

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum > Other Rail Transportation > Miscellaneous Rail Discussion > What's your favorite rail music?


----------



## the_traveler

Guest said:


> "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash


Me too - of course!



> ... I hear the train a coming ...


:lol:

Also

City of New Orleans (Johnny Cash version)

Wabash Cannonball

Orange Blossom Special

Casey Jones


----------



## whistler

http://www.jimcroce.com/lyrics-railroadsong.shtml - Jim Croce - Railroad Song

Gordon Lightfoot's - Canadian Railroad Trilogy of course

http://www.irontrail.ca/songs.html


----------



## como

"Whizzin' Away Along the Track" from Carmen Jones. Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, and Dorthy Dandridge (and whoever actually sang) heading to Chicago. You have to watch the whole clip to see the train arriving in "Chicago".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSrlDh-ZEXo...feature=related


----------



## ruudkeulers

OK, here we go after lengthly considerations:

1. Downtown Train -- Tom Waits

2. Driver 8 -- R.E.M.

3. Ghost Train -- Counting Crows

4. Freight Train Blues -- Bawb Dylan

5. Last Train To Clarksville -- The Monkees

And of course every song Johnny Cash recorded on the subject!

I'm loading my iPod right now with every possible 'train'-song I can find for my upcoming trip, so please keep posting your fav's 5!

Ruud


----------



## sunchaser

jimhudson said:


> Watching some of the great videos on you tube and posted here brings to mind the following:
> What are your favorite all time train songs???(Limit of 5 please!)Mine are:
> 
> 1)Chattanoga Choo-Choo
> 
> 2)City of New Orleans
> 
> 3)Midnight Train to Georgia
> 
> 4)This Train Doesnt Stop Here No More
> 
> 5)Wabash Cannon Ball
> 
> ***Honorable Mention: "Rocket from Decatur"(a friend of mine wrote it/hes a traveling folk singer in the West/Mid-West)



Many of my favorites have been listed, but there are so many more!

Homeward Bound- Simon & Garfunkel

Locomotive Breath- Jethro Tull

Long Train Runnin'- Doobie Brothers

People Get Ready- Curtis Mayfield

Southbound Train- Crosby Stills & Nash

****Honorable Mentions**** Locomotion- Little Eva, When the Levee Breaks-Led Zepplin(not a train song, but it sure sounds like a train to me....)

More train songs  here!

I forgot Midnight Special-Creedence Clearwater Revival


----------



## Bob Dylan

ruudkeulers said:


> OK, here we go after lengthly considerations:
> 1. Downtown Train -- Tom Waits
> 
> 2. Driver 8 -- R.E.M.
> 
> 3. Ghost Train -- Counting Crows
> 
> 4. Freight Train Blues -- Bawb Dylan
> 
> 5. Last Train To Clarksville -- The Monkees
> 
> And of course every song Johnny Cash recorded on the subject!
> 
> I'm loading my iPod right now with every possible 'train'-song I can find for my upcoming trip, so please keep posting your fav's 5!
> 
> Ruud


Theres another Dylan song called "It takes a Lot to Laugh/It takes a Train to Cry"!You can even understand the words and thats rare for Bawb Mumbles!

Its on Highway 61 Revisted,would be a good one while rolling down the rails while listening to the I-Pod!


----------



## JSmith

The Beatles' only actual "train song" was One After 909 but there are some other train mentions in their music:

Day Tripper ("one way ticket, yeah")

I've Got A Feeling ("I'd hate to miss the train")

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds ("Picture yourself on a train in a station, with plasticine porters with looking glass ties")

Ticket to Ride (probably?)

And of course, the A Hard Day's Night movie has some nice train scenes!

I kind of wish Simon & Garfunkel's America was about a train rather than a Greyhound!


----------



## henryj

Y'all have left out the greatest of them all, HANK SNOW. He made one whole album called 'Railroad Man' with nothing but railroad songs. Here is a sample:

The Last Ride

Doggone That Train

I'm Movin On

The Golden Rocket

Way Out There(Also by Sons of the Pioneers)

Casey Jones Was His Name

Southbound

The Streamlined Cannon Ball

Lonesome Whistle

Waiting For A Train

The Wreck of Number Nine

Pan American

Big Wheels

Ghost Trains

The Crazy Engineer

One More Ride

The Wreck of Old 97

Crazy Little Train of Love

The Christmas Cannonball

Hank Snow, 'the singing ranger' was a remarkable person. He was born in Nova Scotia, but soon moved to Nashville. He lived to be 85 years old and died at his Rainbow Ranch home in Madison, Tennessee in 1999. He recorded over 300 songs, had more than 120 albums and sold 70 million records. He had 7 #1 chart hits, 43 top 10 hits, 65 top 40 hits and charted 85 singles. He was married to the same person, Minnie Blanch Alders, for 64 years. And he wore the most outlandish and gaudy suits when he performed. Oddly, most of his recordings can be had from Bear Family Records in Hambergen, Germany. There is a web site also for Hank and they have annual reunions and concerts in Nova Scotia.

A number of his recordings are on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJQ1noW-5_s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX6aLcTMvd0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a7eaHIm-TQ


----------



## henryj

Then Tex Ritter recorded this little ditty about the Houston East and West Texas RR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79D6LLUlJIY

and one of my favorites - The Wabash Cannonball as sung by Roy Acuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ggvZJRx4G0


----------



## Trainmans daughter

Long Black Train - Josh Turner

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


----------



## the Other Mike

My GOD people, does it take the resident band director to remind you.....

"Take the A Train"

or, the best stripper song of all time....

"Night Train"

TSK TSK TSK


----------



## the Other Mike

And we listened to this so many times at the club, it's always playing in the back of my head



Notting Hillbillies- The railroad work song


----------



## Long Train Runnin'

Well not nearly a favorite, but the one my AU name came from, when I joined I typed Train into iTunes and this was first so it became my AU name.

Long Train Runnin' -- The Doobie Brothers

Casey Jones -- The Grateful Dead

Train Time -- Cream

TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN' -- Led Zeppelin


----------



## Bill Haithcoat

Bill Haithcoat said:


> 1.On the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (hands down, I am told I played this constantly as a child.Sometimes I can find it in the slot machine at Johnny Rockets, When I do I play it about three times)
> 2.Orange Blossom Special
> 
> 3.Chattanooga Choo Choo
> 
> 4.City of New Orleans
> 
> 5.Midnght train to Georgia


Guess I had better add a few.

Wreck of old 97'.Mother used to sing that to me. She was amused as I got older and was able to tell her some of the trains and train events she sang to me about were real. She had no idea, she was just singing to be singing.

Wabash Cannonball

Charlie of the MTA

John Henry

Long Black Train (some of which filmed at/on Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.


----------



## rrdude

LOL at "Petticoat Junction Theme Song". That's why I like logging in to AU, I usually get a good chuckle. (Last Train To Clarksville made me laff too......)


----------



## ruudkeulers

rrdude said:


> (Last Train To Clarksville made me laff too......)


I knew it... 

Ruud


----------



## Rover

The City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie
Canadian Railway Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
Life's Railway to Heaven - Tennessee Ernie Ford
I've Been Working on the Railroad - Children's Version
The Railroad - Grand Funk Railroad (Live)


----------



## railiner

Isn't Charlie on the MTA, and The Wreck of the 97, the same tune, IIRC?


----------



## A Voice

The only thing I can add to this resurrected thread is a catchy, well done performance from the late Holly Dunn, but passenger rail supporters should take their blood pressure medicine before listening.....  

https://youtu.be/NxgzJCZbDII


----------



## WICT106

Pat Methany, "Last Train Home" : https://youtu.be/Sq5oqY3-vhg


----------



## Metra Electric Rider

The Pet Shop Boys make several station references in various songs.

Waterloo Kings Cross (about the station)

West End Girls (from Lake Geneva to the Fulham Station)

And there are some newer songs which escape me at the moment.

(though I do think they mention Waterloo Station as well)


----------



## niemi24s

Here's one I've been singing in the shower since about 1959:


----------



## frequentflyer

WICT106 said:


> Pat Methany, "Last Train Home" : https://youtu.be/Sq5oqY3-vhg


Listened to that song many a times sitting in the lounge car watching a beautiful sunset on the horizon, gives you chills. And on the Acela................Sounds good at 35K ft too. Love Pat Matheny Group. "Take me Home" by Phil Collins is cool too especially arriving into Chicago Union or wherever your home station is.


----------



## MARC Rider

Shloimy the Subway Traiin - Arnold Stang


----------



## Woodcut60

1) The City of New Orleans (Willie Nelson)

2) The Midnight Special (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

3) Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel)

4) I'm a Train (Albert Hammond)

5) Chattanooga Choo-Choo (Glenn Miller)


----------



## caravanman

This one combines my interest in trains and India, although to be fair this New Delhi is in America. 

https://youtu.be/51f4q93GBMc

Enjoy!

Ed.


----------



## Maverickstation

The Last Train to Clarksville, The Monkees.


----------



## Heath Loxton

1) The city of New Orleans (arlo Guthrie).


----------



## Grandpa D

Heath Loxton said:


> 1) The city of New Orleans (arlo Guthrie).


I'll cast my vote for Arlo's version. Willie's is kind of bland.


----------



## LookingGlassTie

Here are some of my favorites:

Long Train Runnin', Doobie Brothers

Train, Train, Blackfoot

Midnight Train to Georgia, Gladys Knight and the Pips

Morning Train, Sheena Easton

Long Black Train, Josh Turner

Locomotive Breath, Jethro Tull

Casey Jones, Grateful Dead

Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne

Train of Memories, Kathy Mattea

Ride the Train, Alabama

Love Train, Big & Rich


----------



## como

Been on a Train - Laura Nyro


----------



## Pere Flyer

"Empire Builder" - Laura Gibson

Inspired by and written on the train of the same name, the song's lyric video presumably features shots from the EB route and from a CHI-NYP route.


----------



## MisterUptempo

Those of a certain age will probably appreciate this one, promoting trains and tooth decay at the same time!-

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSlyoVTX3I[/media]

Despite the quality, I find "Up and Down the Monon" a catchy little tune. Would like to find a clean copy-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_WHt8RqbPo


----------



## MisterUptempo

Granted, "I.G.Y." is only kinda, sorta about trains, but a great song nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sogYgHlNnqo

Others have already mentioned "Rock Island Line", but Leadbelly's version, in my opinion, is the best-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCiJ4QQG9WQ


----------



## MisterUptempo

I mentioned my extensive original ELO vinyl collection on another music thread, so I'd be remiss if I didn't include "Across the Border" from 1977's "Out of the Blue"-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zuRQc-AE9M


----------



## v v

A bit tenuous but the Kinks 'Waterloo Sunset' is almost perfect at setting the scene

The strangest and most gruesome song I've ever heard is 'The Engineer's Dying Child' by Montana Slim. I see that Johnny Cash also recorded it.

'City of New Orleans' by Arlo Guthrie or Steve Goodman


----------



## JayPea

"Took the Last Train" by David Gates

"Love Train" by the O'Jays

"Morning Train" by Sheena Easton

Arlo Guthrie's version of "City of New Orleans"

And an honorable mention to a song that isn't about trains but I put it here because it does mention the word "train" in it. And it's one of my favorite songs: "American Pie" by Don McLean.

"And the three men I admire most

The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost

They caught the last train for the coast

The day the music died"


----------



## bmorechris

Last year, my now 2 1/2 year old was in the car and I was asking him what kind of song he wanted to hear. He said a choo choo song. I had to think for a minute, but then realized my favorite band, Weezer, has a line about choo choos in their song 'My Name is Jonas'. Took him to see them in concert about a month ago and he went nuts when they played it and he sang along with the other 20k people there!

"Choo choo train left right on time / A ticket cost only your mind / driver said 'hey man we go all the way' / of course we were willing to pay"

About 35 seconds in


----------



## DCAKen

One jaunty little piece I like listening to is Charles William's Model Railway. I became aware of it through an old promotional video for the Olympian Hiawatha


----------



## Metra Electric Rider

I'm surprised that nobody's mentioned (that I noticed) the Souuuul Train!


----------



## Rover

*"The City of New Orleans"*

Here's a video of different singers and music people giving their recollections of Steve Goodman who wrote "The City of New Orleans."

At 18 minutes in, the composing of the song is covered, and, Arlo Guthrie reminiscences on the recording of the song.


----------



## LookingGlassTie

I got some more that I like (some have already been mentioned):

"City of New Orleans", Arlo Guthrie

"Detroit City", Bobby Bare

"Can't You See?", Marshall Tucker Band

"Love Train", O'Jays song

"Marrakech Express", Crosby, Stills and Nash

"You Never Even Called Me By My Name", David Allan Coe

"White Room", Cream

"Casey Jones", Grateful Dead (hence my signature line)


----------



## The Iron Horse

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned, so I'll try to be creative.





"Zoo Station" - U2

"Tons of Steel" - Grateful Dead

"Downbound Train" - Bruce Springsteen

"Miner's Silver Ghost" - Merle Haggard

"Mystery Train" - Elvis

Honorable Mention:

"Dont Stop Believing" - Journey


----------



## Rover

I Just Got Off That Devil's Train


----------



## caravanman

The Waterboys: Verse Two:

I wish I was the brakeman on a hurtlin fevered train

crashin head long into the heartland like a cannon in the rain

with the feelin of the sleepers and the burnin of the coal

countin the towns flashin by and a night that's full of soul

with light in my head with you in my arms...

https://youtu.be/a4UQJwd3awQ

Ed.


----------



## Rover

Some thing from the 70's....


----------

