Sean MacDermant
You missed perhaps the best "train song" of all. Pat Metheny's "Last Train Home." Give it a listen.
Lee Hansen
Trains? My favourite is FREIGHT TRAIN by Chas McDevitt and Nancy Whisky recorded in 1957. It was the No 1 recording of the British fifties skiffle movement.
Another great reference is in Bob Dylan's autobiography Chronicles….
"I'd seen and heard trains from my earliest childhood days and the sight and sound of them always made me feel secure. The big boxcars, the iron ore cars, freight cars, passenger trains, Pullman cars. There was no place you could go in my home town without at least some part of the day having to stop at intersections and wait for the long trains to pass. Tracks crossed the rural roads and ran alongside them as well. The sound of trains off in the distance more or less made me feel at home, like nothing was missing, like I was at some level place never in any significant danger and that everything was fitting together." Bob Dylan
David Stopps
Down there by the train. Johnny cash and tom waits
Downtown train. Rod Stewart and tom waits
Lionel Conway
Click Clack -- Captain Beefhert
My Train is Coming -- Andy Partridge
Downtown Train -- Tom Waits
Take the A Train -- Duke Ellington
David Rubien
And.........."Train the Distance" by Paul Simon. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mgNHd0UayQ
LOVE this song.
Thank you,
David Brauner
Ten or so years in, and I'm pretty certain Chad Worthington's plus of Union Pacific Line is the first mention of Lucero in the Letter.
One of our best bands, and Ben Nichols is one of our finest songwriters.
Langston
How about:
Railroad Days (Poco)
Take The A Train (Duke Ellington)
Brad Fisher
Also: "Travelling by Steam" (Huw Williams) / "Travel by Steam" (trad., arr. Sanders) by Fairport Convention on their 1995 release, "Jewel In The Crown".
Jim Harnagel
Subject: train songs playlist-139 songs
Innocent Bystander -Leo Sayer
One toke over the line - Brewere &Shipley
The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
Can't wait to cross reference your list to mine !
Joshua Goldberg
open.spotify.com/user/jbg1113/playlist/4C5Qg1DiXPUt4PvnsHgWOx?si=L-GyTQZcRUe5JI1kNTbhnw
One of my favorites: open.spotify.com/track/3tAwGmIYlx4dqC0PAT9y8I?si=ly5C-Q7CQtKyVI0-gJS1zw
Adam Zinke
SVP, Rividia Ico
Train in the distance, Don Henley Cass County
B Chapin
Since your correspondents have come up with dozens without mentioning four of my favourites, here they are:
Train Song - Flying Burrito Bros (bought it on a single at One Stop Records by Manchester Piccadilly station);
Train To Nowhere - Savoy Brown (superior in my book to the band's Hellbound Train, which many cited);
Love Train - O'Jays (sentiments never more apposite, though I doubt Trump will be boarding any time soon);
5.15 - The Who ('Out of my brain on the train'... from Quadrophenia).
Greetings from England
Phil Shaw
Okay…here's more:
Night Train - Rickie Lee Jones (How I didn't mention that is beyond me).
Choo Choo Train - The Boxtops
Ghost Train - Elvis Costello
And my girlfriend says, (being that she's a huge Laura Nyro fan) "What ? No "Poverty Train" ?
Scott Sechman
Ps: Did anybody mention The Dead's "Casey Jones'?
Has anyone included "Bound for Hell" by Love and Rockets? Or "Train in Vain" by The Clash?
Bryant Brow
Thought this might have flown under your radar - Ted can tell you about how he met Claudia at the Mad Dogs rehearsals at A&M. He did one song with her in '73 - Lowell's tune Two Trains, backed by Little Feat, engineered by the great Donn Landee. What a great riff - and check out the Ted Templeman patented - percussion here...congas abound. For whatever reason it didn't make the cut for her album Phew, presumably because Ted didn't produce it.
www.discogs.com/Claudia-Lennear-Two-Trains/master/1159233
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBVTFMvE4m4
Keep up the good work!
Greg Renoff
"The wheels were playing fast in 9/8 time."
Bruce Cockburn, "How I Spent My Fall Vacation."
youtu.be/EFXUwblZpTA
Steve Hurlburt
Reaching back...
"This Train" by Sister Rosetta Tharp deserves a mention.
And how about "Orange Blossom Special" by Vassar Clements?
Robert Bond
Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot.
R. Hennessy
Desperados Waiting For The Train - the Jerry Jeff Walker version.
Wasn't born in the US, lived here for 10+ years.
This is one of those key songs to understand US culture five layers deep:
open.spotify.com/track/79e0llyW01wjBfsMV1o9Dy?si=f0WCeiZ3TVqHYjf71YurFQ
Take care!
Carlos Delgado-Imbert
Did any of your readers mention "5:15"? "Out of brain on the train, on the train..."
-Chris Frate
Train Overnight by The Tragically Hip.
Ted Hageman
Panama Limited (Bukka White) great version from Tom Rush
Jane Harbury
Springsteen: Land of Hope and Dreams
Michael Rosenbaum
Murray McLauchlan-Never Did Like That Train
youtu.be/ot8QPvPjWtk
Denise Donlon
'Night Train' by Guns N' Roses...
From 'Appetite for Destruction': An album that changed Rock n' Roll in the late 80s, when Glam rock began to turn less 'glam', opening the door I believe, for Grunge...
Marcus Cardwell
One of the best train songs ever, from Steven Wilson's prog band Porcupine Tree.
Aptly titled "Trains". Fantastic.
youtu.be/0UHwkfhwjsk
zootsnakes
I'm probably late to the train party but here are two rockin' train songs that come to mind:
Monster Truck - "Old Train" off their great 2013 album Furiousity
Joe Perry Project - "South Station Blues" off his underrated 1981 album I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again
Take care,
Chris Perry
Norman, OK
Rem driver8 is a great train song
Peter Sam Martin
Well, if this theme hasn't played out, hard to imagine nobody yet referenced Folsom Prison Blues, perhaps the most known train song of all time. There's a real good reason Johnny Cash is one of only 11 artists inducted into both the Rock 'n' Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame. . .
I hear the train a comin'.
It's rollin' 'round the bend,
And I ain't seen the sunshine
Since, I don't know when.
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison,
And time keeps draggin' on.
But that train keeps a-rollin'
On down to San Antone
Sean Brickell
Virginia Beach, VA
Don Henley on his Cass County recording has a nice train Song.
Train in the Distance co written with Stan Lynch.
It's actually a beautiful record....
I've beaten this dead horse idea with you before Bob, but something happens to the creative process to almost all artists and they fail to ever come close to their early
greatness of creativity in their adavncing ages. After 40ish it seems very few artists can get close to their early pinnacles of creative excellence.
Quite a few exceptions but it is a very exclusive club, and would make a fun letter for people to discuss. Henley I feel is in the club. He continues to create great songs at an " old " age.
McCartney of course.....Procol Harum ( a yes to me but I am totally biased there)
Springsteen absolutely not- never even remotely close in great songs to his early output....Paul Simon is a no....Billy Joel - not really trying anymore....Elton is a no....
See where I am going with this? It is a very tough nut to crack. Leigh Goldstein ? ( I am a no- can't seem to write anything good anymore!)
I always love your letter...Fun and always thought provoking.
Leigh Goldstein
Night Train to Nashville......Tab Benoit
Debra Rybarz
"Train Long Suffering" --Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Astonishing!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGNCoc8FZCs
Richard Metzger
Back in the mid 1950's in the UK a US train song "The Rock Island Line" by Skiffle artist Lonnie Donegan kickstarted the interest in learning guitar in my generation.
Johnny Cash later recorded it.
Keep up the good nostalgia pieces.
Regards
Peter Bardon
open.spotify.com/track/3qVDy4yN9PofPBhdA5TAjW?si=mR5MGeakQkOYrSyJ8KQhBg – That's Why I Love Trains – Jordan Mogey
open.spotify.com/track/7rGOd1u0t68KyX95WJ7vnP?si=BYelqt39Rs6uymBh5IPE8Q – Rock Island Line – Lonnie Donegan
Sorry if these are redundant:
"Midnight Train to Georgia" -- Gladys Knight and the Pips -- one of the great "transistor radio next to my pillow late at night" songs from my teen years. Woo-woo!
"Up the Junction" -- The Squeeze -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQciegmLPAo This one barely qualifies. :) It's a terrific song, regardless. The 60s British film of the same name was very enjoyable: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxeIhMy-Ctc
"5:15" -- The Who -- the seats are seductive
John Swetye
I know you're done collecting Train songs, but 2 of my favorites are"
"Milwaukee Blues" by Charlie Poole and
"Rueben's Train" performed by Leftover Salmon
Pat
Hey Bob, greetings from Lisbon, Portugal!
Been a while since we hung out at BIME, hope to cross paths again soon.
How about Elvis' "Mystery Train"? :) 16 coaches long!
And of course, all the way from Portugal O Gajo released "Lisbon Express" last September... open.spotify.com/album/1Z1wxMdlqwpY2ZJ6EuIYVP
Cheers,
Nuno Saraiva
Perhaps I missed "There's a train leaves here this morning" by Dillard & Clark and Billy J Kramer's version of "Trains and boat and planes" in your extensive list. I even remember "Here that Whistle blow"by Side of the Road Gang.
Over the years I enjoyed your newsletters!!
Greetings,
Roy van der Laan
Railroad Lady - written by Jimmy Buffett & Jerry Jeff Walker somewhere around 1972 - early 73. It's on JB's A White Sport coat and A Pink Crustacean (June 4,1973). JJW also recorded the song multiple times.
Dan Fife
Wow - so many Great train songs.
Here's two more:
Midnight Train - Buddy Guy featuring Jonny Lang; and
Midnight Special - CCR.
Michael
Bob, Driver 8 by R E M is a good one.
Guy Mccreery
How about "Marrakesh Express"? I saw Graham Nash and David Crosby perform in Belfast some years back and Mr Nash told us a story of how 'somewhere' in Abbey Road there is a version of this song on a tape (attempted, but never finished) by The 'Hollies'.
Terry Grew
Hi - I'm still waiting for Between Trains by Robbie Robertson to be put up on the list. From the movie King of Comedy, it's a beautiful song with a resemblance of the Band.
Reidar Erlandsson
One more, lol
youtu.be/0TYq9RjdYYU
David Lowrey
Maria Vidal's brilliant 'Life on a Train' -
youtu.be/tqfuUmJ_elE
Stacy B
Train Time. Cream. Best ever.
Marrakech Express. CSN. Come on. ???
Roderick Smith
Evening Train - Rob Mathes
you may recognise the players...
Night Train - Amos Lee
Great songs in my humble Kiwi opinion
Steven Jaymes
I don't know if I've read far enough down the list but Train in Vain, by Clash and Annie Lennox are both epic
TConnolly
Peace Train / Cat Stevens
Les Garland
Bob:
Driver 8 by R.E.M.
Andrew Paciocco
No one mentioned Smokestack Lightning by Howlin' Wolf?!!
And people said Elvis, but no Junior Parker Mystery Train
Likewise Leadbelly's Rock Island Line was neglected.
Also Keith and Tex- Stop that Train is a classic, sampled endlessly.
Harry Chapin- Mail Order Annie
m.youtube.com/watch?v=spGFdXGMw58
And this version of People Get Ready by Al Green
m.youtube.com/watch?v=uVamMjrv3og
Geronimo Son
Steve Goodman had one of his first paid gigs....in my basement! Thats right. A whopping ten bucks!
My dad used to buy a new car every other year from Steve's dad, Bud Goodman at Keystone Chevrolet on Chicago' north side. In late '64, when dad took me to pick up his shiny new '65 Chevy Impala station wagon, Bud suggested that my parents hire his son to play their New Years Eve party. And that night, at the age of nine, I got to accompany him on bongos on Michael Row the Boat Ashore! (eventually Steve recorded a song about his dad called My Old Man).
And one more train song...1910 Fruitgum Company's, The Train. It only made it to #58 in the US but it was huge in Chicago on WLS.
youtu.be/EMW43_aUgho
Fun stuff!
Coop
RICK COOPER MUSIC
"Trains and Boats and Planes" - (Hal David / Burt Bacharach)... Dionne Warwick.
patric
Whiskey Train - Procul Harum (Robin Trower)
Rock Island Line - Lonnie Donegon
Freight Train - Elizabeth Cotton
Orange Blossom Special- Ervin T. Rouse
Covered by everybody in the 60's
Edward Bogan
I remember that Steve Goodman was the songwriter of The City of New Orleans. What captured my imagination was how it all began. Steve asked Arto after a show to listen to the song. Arlo responded.....OK, but you have to buy me a beer. Arlo listened, loved the song and recorded it.
"....their daddy's magic carpet made of steel" .
Love it
Bob Bisnett
Don't forget "Under your thumb" by Godley and Crème from 1981 ??
open.spotify.com/track/05jTavSs9eW9lfCYisJhHz?si=qcO6ve05TkiTLG8zYkcMdA
Mark Jeffrey
And nobody mentioned one of my favorites, a real obscure song by The Band, "Between Trains" from The King Of Comedy soundtrack.
And hey, "Coo Coo Ch'Boogie" by Louis Jordan.
Love me some Steve Goodman, every album is full of gems. He still makes me laugh, and sometimes makes me cry. He was a brilliant songwriter, a damn fine guitarist and a pretty good singer with the greatest sense of humor. Rest well, Steve, you are remembered.
Rich Arfin
I'm on my way home again, by the Everly Brothers. The first time I heard the song was on one of the "loss leaders" albums that Warner Brothers released in the late 60s early 70s. It's a wonderful tune
jh tompkins
LA
Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard
Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard
Mark Wolfson
Hi. From Neil Young's Reactor album, the great "Southern Pacific."
And the coolest "Night Train"by James Brown.
Thanks.
Mighty Tim Young.
I know I missed the "train song" train, but give a listen to "Click Clack," a bona fide train song by Captain Beefheart. The propulsive power, the rhythmic click clack, the concatenation, the girl leaving him behind at the station ("maybe you had uh girl like that..."), a handkerchief, even something like a slow lonesome whistle on slide guitar. It's all there. And the girl ain't coming back. (And sadly, neither is the Captain.)
Ira
Perhaps I read thru your emails and responses too fast, but has anyone mentioned Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy." One of my all time favorites.
Robert Greer
My fav. Bradley from sublime covers Marley. Super raw and acoustic:
open.spotify.com/track/1uCzlBE0jqEFoEqJMbm6lR?si=OpTivyUNQaOYLniGF8G1_g
"This Train"
Roots of Creation
Berlin. Metro
Barbara Stevens
Kinks - Last of the Steam Powered Trains (on Village Green Preservation Society)
Peter Thomashow
Fred Eaglesmith writes some of the finest songs about trains. I Like Trains and 49 Tons being two gems
Gregg Simon
Lots of great songs here but I am sorry.... the most heartbreaking Train song in the history of the world is by the great English band FREE... " Oh I Wept". " I take my seat on the train, and let the sun come melt my pain....
Come tomorrow I'll be far away, in the sunshine of another day". Paul Rodgers bluesy, mournful voice and Paul Kossoff ' s heartbreaking guitar playing are simply devastating.. I have loved your writing for 15 years now Bob..... thank you. David Resch
Have not seen these two: 1 whiskey train by Procol Harum and 2 No trains to heaven by Be Bop Deluxe , which includes an outstanding guitar solo.
David Camp
A) I can't believe I forgot "Trains and Boats and Planes" by Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas
B) Aerosmith's "Train Kept A Rollin'" is a lead weight sinking in the river compared to the Yardbirds definitive version and to Johnny Burnette's earlier rockabilly version.
Toby Mamis
Two more:
- "5:15" by The Who ("out of my brain on a train")
- Not on Spotify: "Blue Train" by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant from their superb Walking Into Clarksdale album in 1998
Steve "The Lemon" Sauer
Waitin for the 103 by Dan Hicks:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE0yvIzipkk
Lou Judson
One more train song: The Clash. Train in Vain
john monguillot
Los Lobos
The Train Don't Stop Here
Ricardo Colin
Loved your "train" show.... I guess there are a lot of Blackfoot fans.. who woulda' thought.
Here's a great one... Foghat . "Jump That Train".. It was from the last album with Lonesome Dave.
jeff laufer
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLwyXOMyuj0
Hell bound Train
Savoy Brown
Neil Lasher
Choo Choo ch'boogie. Is the classic train song.
Kenneth Freundlich
A few more from a little farther back in the stack:
Trains---Terrence Boylan
Train---Buddy Miles
What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round---Monkees
Marty Bender
Train coming around the bend by the True Believers ( Alejandro Escavedo first Band) And Too bad- Night train by Lets Active. Both very good songs
Tino Perez
Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Lightfoot and Steve Goodman once played the same bill - one doing the greatest Canadian train song, the other doing the greatest American train song.
Rest in Peace Steve Goodman
John Trelstad
Fargo, ND
Last Train To London
My Baby Takes The Morning Train
Chattanooga Choo Choo
there must be a stack of hits from the 20s/30s/40s heydays of steam passenger express trains?
Michael Feinstein would know?
Evan Linwood
How about "Locomotive Breath" by Jethro Tull and "Driver 8" by REM?
All the best
Robert Heiblim
thy Guy Clark somg is a great catch, from a great album
also "Runaway Train" by Roseanne Cash
oohlikewowman
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes s Train to Cry. - Robert Zimmerman
Paula Franceschi
One more for you
The ultimate Who Train song
5:15 from Quadrophenia
"Out of my brain on the train, on the 5:15"
Best
Steve Margo
Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotton, met her in the 70's when she was 78 and with Taj Mahal at the University of WA. I had the great honor of carry her guitar for her.
Pat Mallahan
Seattle
Blue Train, written by Tom Kimmel and Jennifer Kimball and sung by Maura O'Connell. Beautiful.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORMUqhofLGw
Amy Kurland
New Delhi Freight Train by Little Feat
Frank Wood
Night Train-Guns-N-Roses
Jay Stewart
most of these were so obvious...
though the Hiatt and the Marley and the Little Feat
i figured you wanted obsurities, hopefully with some social comment
go find Aaron Lee Tasjan. he's worth it.
torchlili
Anybody mention Tom rush's Panama limited. If not, I just did.
Richard Allison
No room for "Orange Blossom Special"? The SEA TRAIN version? Either you're on drugs or I am!
Barry Lyons / Rent A Label
"Take the A train" Duke Ellington
Paul Mencel
youtube.com/watch?v=mb7LvUnx_8s
Brenden Small of Home Movies other project
Richard Altman
I'm late to this and while the train does not appear in the title... The Lightning Express by the Everly Brothers is one of my favorites.
Todd Devonshire
I worked for WEA Chicago in the late 70s. We scheduled an in store performance for Steve for a new album release. It was winter and a huge un-forecast storm hit. No one showed. I thought he'd be angry. He grabbed his guitar and played and sang for over an hour for the store personnel and record people. He was gracious and I sounded great.
Randal Edwards
Not to be forgotten:
Night Train-James Brown
Traintime-Cream
Train In the Distance-Paul Simon
Hear My Train A Comin-Jimi Hendrix
It Takes A lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry-Bob Dylan
Best wishes
Bob Jameson
Hear hear to the Billy Joe Shaver shout-outs for "Georgia on a Fast Train." My numero uno in this category. Man writes some righteous lyrics.
Underappreciated gem: AC/DC's poorly titled "Rock 'N' Roll Train." It's not only their best late-era single, it's in the top ten (or 15) best Brian J-era songs. The Youngs should have named it from the gang-vocal chorus "Runaway train! Runnin' right off the tracks". No one would've confused this banger with Soul Asylum's hit.
Virtually unknown gem: The Shazam's "Gonna Miss Yer Train." Nashville power poppers should've blitzed the world with their 1999 Not Lame Recordings album Godspeed The Shazam.
Tucker Eskew
Morning Bound Train by Jimmy Rankin from Cape Breton, Canada. I love Train songs!
Kind regards,
June Hiscock
Mystery Train. Paul Simon did a great cover during his 2012 Hyde Park concert.
Niels van Oyen
Peace Train Cat Stevens
Monkey and the Engineer Grateful Dead
Waiting for a Train Jimmie Rodgers
Sent from my iPhone
Night Train Guns N Roses
Midnight Trains To Georgia Gladys Night and Pips
Wabash Cannonball (everyone)
Downtown Train Tom Waits
Hey Porter Johnny Cash
The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down The Band
My Baby Takes The Morning Train Shena Easton !!!
George Drakoulias
From the dawn of Rock and Roll - The Valentines (from Harlem) - Woo Woo Train - 1956 on Rama Records.
Bruce Berenson
Nobody mentioned these, so I will:
Little Jimmy Dickens-
youtu.be/cJPf0dRITaY
Pentangle-
youtu.be/S6i40SoW2BM
Yay, train songs!
Great lists, including yours,
Marshall Crenshaw
"Train Time" Cream ?!
Will Bratton
Casey Jones
Big railroad blues
Monkey and the engineer
Robert Rosenstein
" Hellbound Train", Savoy Brown's 1972 cult classic from the album of the same name. Mid period British blues rock at its finest.
Stephen Dessau
"Driver 8" - R.E.M.
youtu.be/wuFId1RYSZE
Pearce Bannon
I?m late to the party here but
Another to add to your Train Playlist.
Hollis Brown Ride on the Train˛
youtu.be/9GlNKST3_Rc
They?re a quintet from Queens, NYC.
Dave Marsh calls them truly one of the best Rock Bands in the world.
Fiona Bloom
my reservations been confirmed herman's hermits
Peter Noone
Last train to London by ELO. Awesome.
Eric Herz
Has anyone mentioned "Last Of The Steam Powered Trains" by The Kinks? That's the only one that matters.
Francois Mobasser, Esq.
"Take The A Train" ... "Casey Jones"
Paul Zullo
Bob Woodruff's "I'm The Train"
Hillorie McLarty
Night Train, original by Jimmy Forest. James Brown killed it................
Sjaak Blaauw
Thanks for the shout-out, Bob — much appreciated!
Tom Rush
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