Train songs


Burlington Bob

Burlington Bob

Well-Known Member
I like all train songs but these have remained stuck in my head ever since I can remember:

The Wreck of the Old 97

Orange Blossom Special

Wabash Cannonball

Train They Call the City of New Orleans

and a much lesser known song but one of my favorites;
Hobo Bill's Last Ride
 
The Real Deal

Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans is my all time favorite but here are a few others my co-workers tire of hearing from my cube.

Possibly the 1st music video. The credits indicate (if my reading of roman numerals is correct) it was made in 1930. The original Jimmie Rodgers "Waiting for a Train": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyHulWOZBpk

Probably the very best train song by the singing brakeman, Jimmie Rodgers "Hobo Bill's Last Ride". Gotta love the forlorn train whistle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv-pRbShVi8

Jed can still bust a move in this video of "The Wreck of the Ole 97": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZsMQK2Z-So
 
I grew up listening to Merle Haggard when I was a kid. Parents were big country music fans, guess a little rubbed off on me. First time I've heard that one, though.
 
Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans is a great one, but my personal favorite is Fulsom Prison Blues by Mr Johnny Cash.
 
Unfettered said:
"I've been working on the railroad" <ducking for cover> LOL
Click to expand...

<Make some room in there for me> "Choo Choo Charlie" - the song for Good and Plenty candy ads.

Woodie Guthrie may not have realized when he wrote City of New Orleans just how much truth was in those words: "this train has got the disappearing railroad blues". Look at the bankruptcies, abandonments, and failed mergers from mid 20th century and on up to the present time.
 
Actually Steve Goodman wrote City of New Orleans. Arlo Guthrie recorded it and released it on an album in 1972 after Goodman got him to listen to a song that he had recently written. Guthrie made a few changes to it when he recorded it. I like both versions, but was 17 when it was played on the radio during the summer of '72. What a year that was for me! So, I guess that is why I like Arlo's version the best.

I would recommend Steve Goodman to anybody that likes songs that tell a story, oftentimes funny. He wrote a song called A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request that every baseball fan should hear! Here is a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xBxZGQ1dJk
 
Oops yes you're right Bob. Arlo got it out there and later on Willie Nelson did a cover on it. I had Woodie Guthrie on my mind for another reason and got a cerebral short circuit when replying to City of New Orleans.

Steve Goodman also wrote some stuff for David Allen Coe- "You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin' Darlin". Has a reference to a train in the last verse.
 
Doc Watson's FFV ( Fast flying vestibule) was very good. Jonathan Edwards has a beautiful song the name of which I am having issues with right now but has the line "You don't need a ticket you just climb on board. You can just sit there, hear the Diesel hummin, into the night and you just thank the Lord". great stuff.
"500 Miles" popularized by Peter Paul and Mary is certainly out there. " Canadian Railroad Trilogy" by Gordon Lightfoot is beautiful as well. "One toe over the Line" is another wonderful "sort of" train song as is "the Midnight Special". I used to sing a ton of obscure ones. Cisco Houston sang a lot of great train songs.
 
At dinner at Texas Roadhouse last night, the wait staff was dancing to a song I can only assume was titled "Playin Chicken With a Train". We all got a good laugh about that as its pretty obvious the train wouldn't be the first one to swerve out of the way in that game.
 
City of new orleans is a great song on of my favorite songs to play when I have the guitar out.

A little known song called railroad line by the gibson brothers is really good. I would post a link but honestly, I don't know how. it's on you tube though.
 
Depending on my mood;
City of New Orleans if I'm feelin mellow,
Chattanooga Choo-choo by The Glenn Miller Orchestra with vocals by Mel Torme when I'm running passenger train and
Ozzie's Crazy Train when I want a little headbanging!!!!
 
Ozzie's Crazy Train when I want a little headbanging!!!!

I wondered if it would get mentioned! And I agree wholeheartedly!
 
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