In your opinion what is the best song ever written about the railroads? I’ll put in my two cents by tossing out the following songs and artists.
Johnny Cash: Orange Blossum Special
Jimmy Rogers: Hobo Bill
Willie Nelson: City of New Orleans
Canadian Railroad trilogy!
Willie Nelson: City of New Orleans - I’ll second that.
One of the best songs written about the railroads is this:
“The Passing of the Train”
Performed by Rhonda Vincent on ‘Back Home Again’
Written by Rushing/Nelson
You must listen to it performed by Rhonda Vincent and then by another artist.
This is a bluegrass song. Most railroad songs are bluegrass or country.
Andrew Falconer
Best by far is “Fireball Mail” by Roy Acuff. It even mentions a hound dog.
FIREBALL MAIL
Recorded by Roy Acuff
Written by Floyd Jenkins (aka Fred Rose)
"[G] Here she comes - look at her roll
There she goes - eatin’ that [D7] coal
Watch her [G] fly - look at her sail
let her by, by, [D7] by - it’s the Fireball [G] Mail.
CHORUS
Let her go - look at her steam
Hear her blow - whistle and scream
Like a hound - waggin’ his tail
Dallas bound, bound, bound - the Fireball Mail.
Engineer - makin’ up time
Tracks are clear - look at her climb
See that freight - clearin’ the rail
Bet she’s late, late, late - the Fireball Mail.
Watch her swerve - look at her sway
Get that curve - out of the way
Watch her fly - look at her sail
Let her by, by, by - the Fireball Mail."
I love trains 'n dogs.
“The Track of My Tears” by Smokey Robinson
“Rock Island Line”-Johnny Cash
“City of New Orleans”-Willie Nelson
“Wreck of the Old 97”-David G. George
“Thomas the Tank Engine Theme Song”-By Some Guy
Ok, the last one was a fake, there’s not even any words to it, it’s an instrumental.
Willy Nelson: City of New Orleans - I’ll 4th that…
Of course Mr. Nelson did not write the song. It was written by Steve Goodman, Arlo Guthrie’s 1972 version is the better one as far as I’m concerned.
Arlo Guthrie’s version is the one I think of when I think of “City of New Orleans.” There was an issue of Trains a while back that had a page talking about Steve Goodman and Arlo Guthrie.
wabash cannonball-boxcar willie
arlo guthries city of new orleans
train train-almond brothers band
stay safe
joe
The City Of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie version. Not until the last few month had Arlo Guthrie ever ridden the City Of New Orleans. He did make a great train famous if only in it’s period of decline.
I also have a recording of The Reck Of The Old 97 which was recorded in North Carolina live on a fellows front porch in the late 50’s. It is the best recording of that song I have ever heard.
“Wabash Cannonball” sung by Roy Acuff
“City of New Orleans” sung by Arlo Guthrie
“The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore”-The New Coon Creek Girls
“Wabash Cannonball”- Like both versions Boxcar Willie and Roy Acuff. Boxcar could do a heck of a train whistle, though.
Brian (KY)
I’ve been workin on the railroad, all the live-long day…
Neil Young had a song on his reactor album from 1981 called Southern Pacific.
“I rode the highball, I fired the Daylight
When I turned 65, I couldnt see right.”
It was “Mr. Jones, we gotta let you go
It’s company policy, youve got a pension tho.”
Roll on Southern Pacific!
ed
just a few lines.
Train Train, Black Oak Arkansas.
“City of New Orleans” as performed by its writer, Steve Goodman.
Orange Blossom Special. No contest. But not Johnny Cash. Any bluegrass band worth its salt can do a better version.
How 'bout this: There was a contest to name a train that was gonna carry garbage from the San Francisco bay area. Entries included “El Crapitan,” and “Excess Express.” A guy by the name of Allan Scott Glasgow came up with a tune - his name didn’t win - “Raw Trash Cannonball.” Sorry to hog space, but the lyrics:
Well the citizens of Brisbane were getting mighty sore
So San Francisco’s garbage was outlawed from their shore
Oh where shall we dump it was the cry from one and all
And thus was created The Raw Trash Cannonball
Listen to the rumble, the whistle and the bell
And if by then you’re still not sure, you can tell 'er by the smell
The vultures circle overhead while the lonesome seagulls squall
Hold your nose as on she goes, the Raw Trash Cannonball
This train she leaves the depot with the setting of the sun
And makes her way across the bay for the Feather river run
Through Livermore and Stockton, dear god don’t let her stall
The smell’s terrific on the Western Pacific, The Raw Trash Cannonball
Chorus
Then on to Lassen County with a thousand tons a day
Near the little town of Herlong where the garbage will decay
Let the railroad pay the county while the buzzards have a ball
Sing another refrain to that garbage train, The Raw Trash Cannonball
Chorus
Here’s to Robert Mendelsohn, may his name forever stand
And long be remembered in the dumps throughout the land
When his race is ended, and the curtains 'round him fall
We’ll carry him up to Herlong on the Raw Trash Cannonball
Mendelsohn was the S.F. councilman who came up with the idea of transporting the garbage out to the desert.
Another candidate for best train song might be Engine 143, by the Carter Family. Lengthy, and I won
Filla me ooh ree ooh ree ay, workin’ on the railway. The more I think about this topic the more songs come to mind. Really pretty amazing how many there are, and I’m certain I only know a small fraction. Just goes to show how deeply railroads are ingrained.