Truth, or legend? I read that Elvis Prsley’s hit Hound Dog, was in reference to (or inspired by) a derogatory nickname for local freight runs on a Gulf, Mobile & Ohio branchline.
I’d vote “false”. Elvis’ hit was a COVER of a song “Hound Dog” by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, first recorded August 13, 1952. Elvis covered it four years later, and over the years it has been recorded more than 80 times by numerous artists. The song was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, and was clearly written to be sung by a woman. Listening to the original, there is no doubt that she was singing about a “low down” man behaving like a dog.
Thornton’s version of the song is still available, and I drew this response from the Smithsonian Collection entitled “The Blues”.
Bill
"You ain’t nuthin’ but a hound dog - snoopin’ round my door.
You ain’t nuthin’ but a hound dog - snoopin’ round my door.
You can wag your tail - but I ain’t gonna feed you no more!!"
I doubt Leiber and Stoller up in Brooklyn knew anything about GM&O freight trains. [:)]
Myth Busted…
It wouldn’t be the first railroad myth that was proved untrue.[;)]