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I'm sure this topic has come up before, but there is an indelible link between railroads and music. Smile Be they old track layer tunes, songs of people far from home, or songs from railroad advertisements, I was wondering what everyone's favorite railroad or train-related songs are?

Personally, my favorites are a tie between "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, and the eerie and nostalgic, yet amazing "City of New Orleans" by Arlo Guthrie. Anyone else? :?:

not to mention the 5 different versions of "Wreck of the Old 97" I have. :mrgreen:
Midnight train - Charlie Daniels
Tons of Steel - Grateful Dead
King of The Road - Original version - Roger Miller (1965)
Not necessarily favourites, but I reviewed a collection of "Railway Songs" put out by the Smithsonian. I received it as a birthday gift and it seemed like a good topic for the club newsletter.

Go to the newsletter page: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://ovar.ca/Interchange/the__interchange.htm">http://ovar.ca/Interchange/the__interchange.htm</a><!-- m --> for April 2008, or direct: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ovar.ca/Interchange/Apr2008.pdf">http://www.ovar.ca/Interchange/Apr2008.pdf</a><!-- m --> - see page 5.

My favourite is not on the Smithsonian album, but I did bring it up in response to a similar request in another of the newsletters. Harry McClintock's "Big Rock Candy Mountain": <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ovar.ca/Interchange/dec2004.pdf">http://www.ovar.ca/Interchange/dec2004.pdf</a><!-- m -->

Andrew
And the hymn " Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad".

Lynn
I have several so,here's a example.

The Log Train-Hank Williams Sr.

Hobo Bill's Last Ride-Hank Snow

Hobo's Meditation-several but, Merle Haggard is my choice.

I'm Movin' On-Hank Snow

The Golden Rocket-Hank Snow

Wabash Cannonball-Roy Acuff.

Streamline Cannonball.-Roy Acuff.

Freight Train Blues-Roy Acuff

The Pan American-Roy Acuff.

Waiting For A Train-Jimmy Rodgers.

City of New Orleans- Johnny Cash.

Mystery of Old Number Five-Jimmy Rodgers

Wreck of the 1256-Vernon Dalhart

There are many more I like.
Kari Bremnes doing "togsang" ("train song"). Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RkUUdGy_Bs

Translation and background: http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1817

Smile,
Stein
Gotta add Patsy Cline's, "Life's Railway to Heaven".

Got a few more, but somebody beat me to them. Misngth
A British CD -- most of the tracks are over 50 years old (i.e. no copyright).

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[attachment=8178]
Something About Trains - Jane Siberry (Bound by the Beauty - 1989)
The Station - Stephen Fearing (The Assassin's Apprentice - 2007)
Arlo's "City of New Orleans" and the Doobie Brothers "Long Train Running" with the Commodores "Hot on the Tracks" album cover being one of my favorite bits of cover art...
I don't remember the name, but "The night they drove old Dixie down".
MountainMan Wrote:I don't remember the name, but "The night they drove old Dixie down".

Yep! That's the title of the song recorded by "The Band". Good song!

In addition to a lot of the favorites above, I like "Orange blossom Special" as one of the classics along with Johnny Cash doing "Rock Island Line" and "This Train" by the Blue Sky Boys. More modern hits for me include "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens, "People Get Ready" with Rod Stewart (a model railroader, by the way), the fun bluesy "If Love Were A Train" by Michelle Shocked, "Steel Rails" by Alison Krauss, the humorous "My Baby Thinks he's a Train" by Rosanne Cash, a very soulful "The Blue Train" with Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and Dolly Parton, and Boxcar Willie's "Hobo Heaven".

Ralph
"Southern Streamline" - John Fogerty
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMuS7z4BgZQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMuS7z4BgZQ</a><!-- m -->
I need to find more RR songs. I do like "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash though.

I haven't read all of the posts here, but didn't ACDC have a railroad song? I think I saw their video playing for this once when I was working out at the gym!
RobertInOntario Wrote:I need to find more RR songs. I do like "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash though.

I haven't read all of the posts here, but didn't ACDC have a railroad song? I think I saw their video playing for this once when I was working out at the gym!

Yup - off the Black Ice (2008) album. Rock 'N Roll Train:

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See <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27N_Roll_Train">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27N_Roll_Train</a><!-- m -->

Andrew
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