The Music in a Train

[micaelcorleone]

I just want to post some songs about trains here, feel free to add some yourself.
In my opinion songs about trains are some of the best and with a lot of emotion.

Here the Best ever wrote about a train and my personal all-time favourite:
Willie Nelsons version of "City of New Orleans"
- there is so much emotion, pain and sentimentality in this song, which makes me almost cry everytime I hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94AF_-RIl0E&feature=related

also good:
Johnny Cashs version of "City of New Orleans"
-he personally rides the City of New Orleans and sings the song aboard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaVHKhAkTuM&feature=related
-same, but shorter version, from the same dvd and with Johnny Cash talking about the future of US trains at the end:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2woV2_25SU&feature=related

[micaelcorleone]

Johnny Cash - Ridin' the Rails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-p5bTHT3e8

So true what he says at the end:
"The ol' high-rollin' days of Steam have faded
and a little of the ol' rich glamour is worn off now,
but some others still wake up and find theirselves
listening for that looong lonesome whistle in the night.
That's the sound America's Dreams are made out.
Close your eyes and make believe just a little bit
and I bet you can hear that whistle blow."

Beautiful steam footage.
From his great DVD with the same name.

[micaelcorleone]

Black Irish Band - Train to Utah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHqWJNNhaZM

Song about railroadlife in Utah back then.
The video is really worth watching, alone because of the beautiful painted pictures of American Steamers (including cabforward).

[arizonachris]

Nice find, Micael. A cab forward is on my wish list. Music seems to capture the rhythem of the locomotive.

The art work is great as well, but I'm a big fan of Larry Fisher's work. He did the train artwork for many years on the yearly calendar for a local hardware store, Orchard Hardware. I have been collecting them for 10 years or so now. Not gonna sell them, they are mine, and I'm keeping all of them.

[Samwolf]

Johnny Cash, The Legend of Casey Jones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03jwHrO7ubI

[Samwolf]

Anyone else old enough to remeber watching this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig3GcDBjQN4&feature=related]

[arizonachris]

Anyone else old enough to remeber watching this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig3GcDBjQN4&feature=related]

Good, lord, Sam, I'm an old fart, but not quite that old.

[micaelcorleone]

Anyone else old enough to remeber watching this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig3GcDBjQN4&feature=related]

Oh my God.
When was that, the 40s? Is it a series or a film?

[Samwolf]

It was a TV series in the late 50's. Ran a couple of seasons I think.

[petebauer]

I think the copyright is MCMLVII if I read it right. What would that be, 1957? I think I remember seeing the show.

[micaelcorleone]

Someone has posted the complete Ridin' The Rails - The Great American Train Story DVD on youtube.
I really recommend it to everyone as I have it on DVD already.
It's just great to watch Johnny Cash tell you the story of America's railroads and hear him singing some songs about trains.
-Yeah, I'm a Johnny Cash fan.
Watch it!

part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoR7mcsVxtU
part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G80aOn8sxco
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWQkZG1BQI
part 4:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p75n6ti1dnI
part 5:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znu_lacJSNs
part 6:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bponT6yr7cE

[kin3]

Great find. Thanks.

[Samwolf]

Silverton Ttrain by C.W. McCall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QznMSjP7G8

[Toripony]

What about the train in music?.............................

Taking this topic in reverse, if you listen closely, you will hear the rhythm of trains in MANY American songs and genre's. Because so many songs were written about trains in the late 19th and early 20th century, those rhythms became standards (I wonder if anyone even realized it at the time) throughout all varieties of American made music... particularly obvious in bluegrass, blues, country and even rock (rock evolved from blues). I have even heard an occasional pop song on the radio today with snippits of rhythm reminiscent of clacking tracks and puffing steamers in them. There's a book on the topic but the name slips my mind right now.

Also a music lover,
Tori

[micaelcorleone]

Yeah, that's so true. There's something in a train that fascinates everybody, even if they don't know it.