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Songs with a railway theme


rocor
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After hearing a certain musical track for the first time this afternoon (Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull),  I used the RMweb search  function to try to find a thread for songs with a railway theme. As I could not find one, I have initiated this one. If there are already loads of threads on this subject that my search missed, then I apologise to our moderator in advance.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d76pxiPlxHs

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You said 'songs' which is a broad category.

 

Not necessarily about trains but riding the rails is central to the song is "Me and Bobby McGee" - Kris Kristofferson (famously sung by Janis Joplin).

 

There are various versions of the Casey Jones legend.

 

Casey Jones - Grateful Dead

 

Casey Jones - Johnny Cash (more traditional)

 

Cash also sang "Wabash Cannonball" and "Orange Blossom Special". Cash covered "City of New Orleans" too.

 

Cash also covered "Wreck of the Old 97", sung by numerous artists.

 

There are quite a few of these older songs about railways in the 19th century.

 

Edited by Ozexpatriate
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Chattanooga Choo Choo - Various Artistes

Lightning Express - Everly Brothers

Rock Island Line - Lonnie Donegan

Last Train to Clarksville - Monkees

 

I'll stop here, I'm giving my age away

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Blyth Power are a folk-punk band formed by a railway enthusiast called Joseph Porter and named after a Class 56. They have several railway-related songs, Junction Signal is just one of them.

 

There's also Eastfield, an "Urban Rail Punk" band (in their own words) named after the depot. Their website, run by the main man Jesse has some superb railway photos on it. 

https://www.eastfieldrailpunk.co.uk/

 

Mr Cloggy Dog of this parish is well acquainted with both of these beat groups...

 

steve

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4 hours ago, rocor said:

I used the RMweb search  function to try to find a thread for songs with a railway theme. As I could not find one, I have initiated this one. If there are already loads of threads on this subject that my search missed, then I apologise to our moderator in advance.

 

There definitely was a topic on this, but it appears to have been on an earlier version of the site.

 

Some suggestions:

 

Play a Train Song - Todd Snider

Texas Eagle - Steve Earle

Dixie Flyer - Randy Newman

The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore - Johnny Cash

She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule to Ride) - Blues Brothers

Southern Streamline - John Fogerty

Southern Pacific - Neil Young

All the songs from 'The Ballad of John Axon' - https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ballad-of-john-axon-mw0000243698

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A little selection;

 

All around the Water Tower - Jimmy Rodgers

(I heard that) Lonesome whistle - Hank Williams

I'm Moving On - Hank Snow

Folsom Prison Blues - Johny Cash

Rock Island Line - Johny Cash

Smoke Along the Track - Dwight Yoakam

Train a Comin - Steve Earle

Mystery Train ptII - Steve Earle

Railroads - Holly Williams

No More Trains to Ride - Merle Haggard

Hobo Bill's Last Ride - Merle Haggard

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Long train running - The Doobie Brothers

The Silverton - C.W. McCall

Later Train to Clarksville - The Monkees

Rock n Roll Train - AC/DC

A Man and  Train - Marty Robbins from  the film Emperor of the North Pole. A cracking good film

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I remember doing something like this as a Christmas Quiz for my model railway club's magazine a few years ago.

 

Here are a few of the many I found (that made the UK Singles Chart):

 

Last Train To London by ELO.

Train Of Thought by A-Ha.

(Waiting For) The Ghost Train by Madness.

Down In The Tube Station At Midnight by The Jam.

Electric Trains by Squeeze.

Last Train To Trancentral by The KLF.

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Chris Rea had an album out in 1979 called Deltics - can't be a coincidence.

 

White Room by Cream includes the following lyrics;

 

You said no strings could secure you at the station
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
I walked into such a sad time at the station
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning

 

Douglas

 

 

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called either The Track that will never Come Back  or The Wild Wannie Line. (about the Wansbeck Valley line).  Somewhere in my cassettes.

Northern Cannonball.  A Canadian re-write of the Wabash Cannonball. Artist unknown; I broke the 78 half a century ago.

 

And a CD:

1650466933_VintageTrainsCDContents.jpg.6098ff0af881e8fabb1f5d6b242da7b5.jpg

 

VintageTrainsCover.jpg.6f97efa99cacbc6881a6ed85194ab631.jpg

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