A Train Song
Trains, Music, Legends
About A Train Song Blog
My name is C R Burgan. I am a musician, and lifelong lover of trains. For a number of years I have had the desire to devote a blog space to a favorite musical genre of mine – train songs.
With a vast catalog from which to choose, it is my intention for each post to focus on a particular train song, with insights into the genesis of the tune, biographical details of the authors & artists, or the song’s place in our popular culture.
What I have found is that even songs that were very familiar to me have revealed new tidbits of information during my research. And it is my hope that even folks who may not be as avid a lover of music and trains as I am will find a point of interest within each post.
What I really hope is to engage music lovers and train lovers, and possibly convert new disciples to either, or both.
I also encourage anyone with a favorite train song to send a shout out for a possible future post.
Above all, this is a labor of love, combining three of my favorite things (music, trains, writing), and I invite you along for the ride.
All aboard!
- All
- Country Music
- Jimmie Rodgers
- Train Songs
That Train Don’t Stop Here Anymore
“Looking out my windowI see my world has changedThe sun won’t rise this mornin’‘Cause my baby’s gone awayYesterday I could tell myselfThat she’d be back …
Come Ride the Little Train
“Come ride the little train That is rolling down the tracks to the junction. Forget about your cares It is time to relax at the …
Look A-Yonder Comin’
“Look a-yonder comin’ Comin’ down that railroad track Hey, look a-yonder comin’ Comin’ down that railroad track It’s the Orange Blossom Special Bringin’ my baby …
This Thing Has Turned Into a Runaway Train
“I’m worried about you I’m worried about me The curves around midnight Aren’t easy to see Flashing red warnings Unseen in the rain This thing …
That’s Why I’m Ridin’ the Rails
“Hoboin’ is my game B & O’s my middle name I’m goin’ where that whistle wails And that’s why I’m ridin’ the rails” – Ridin’ …
Get on Board, Little Children
“The Gospel train’s comin’ I hear it just at hand I hear the car wheel rumblin’ And rollin’ thro’ the land” – The Gospel Train …
I’ll Meet You at the Station
“Take the last train to Clarksville And I’ll meet you at the station You can be there by 4:30 ‘Cause I’ve made your reservation Don’t …
Will I See You Tonight?
“Outside another yellow moon Has punched a hole in the nighttime, yes I climb through the window and down to the street I’m shining like …
Pardon Me, Boy
“Pardon me, boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? Track twenty-nine, boy you can gimme a shine I can afford to board a Chattanooga Choo …
Railway Time
“Well I woke up this morning And the sun refused to shine I knew I’d leave my baby With a troublin’ mind It rains every …
You’ve Got to Know When to Hold ‘Em
Note: This entry was written several months ago and was originally scheduled for publication in June 2020, but in light of Kenny Rogers’ recent passing, …
Pullman Porter Blues
“I feel oh, so blue I really don’t know what to do I got a brand new job: a tip collector It’s some job: a …
A Train Can’t Bring Me Home
“Well I broke down in East St. Louis, on the Kansas City line Drunk up all my money that I borrowed every time And I …
You Can’t Cheat Mother Nature
“In an era of dissension On a bleak mid-winter morn There stood a house divided By righteous indignation borne” – Chunky Creek (Train Wreck of …
Bring in the Workers and Bring Up the Rails
”There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun Long …
Listen to the Jingle
“Now listen to the jingle, and the rumble, and the roar, As she dashes thro’ the woodland and speeds along the shore, See the mighty …
Take Me Right Back to the Track, Jack!
“Heading for the station with a pack on my back I’m tired of transportation in the back of a hack I love to hear the …
Will There Be Any Freight Trains in Heaven?
“Last night as I lay on the boxcar Just waiting for a train to pass by What will become of the hobo Whenever his time …
You Don’t Need No Ticket
“People get ready For the train to Jordan Picking up passengers From coast to coast” – People Get Ready (Mayfield) © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, …
The Quickest Way to Harlem
“You must take the ‘A’ train To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem” – Take the “A” Train (Strayhorn) © EMI Music Publishing …
Good Mornin’ America
“Riding on the city of New Orleans Illinois Central, Monday morning rail Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders Three conductors, twenty-five sacks of mail” – …
Train I Ride
“Train, train, comin’ down, down the line Train, train, comin’ down, down the line Well, it’s bringin’ my baby ’cause she’s mine, all mine” – …
I Hear the Train A-Comin’
“Folsom Prison Blues”, is surely one of the best known train songs of the modern era. If not the most popular song in singer Johnny Cash’s catalog, it certainly ranks in the top five.
. . . What I didn’t know until just a few years ago, is that this song that has become so identifiable with its author, really isn’t Johnny’s song at all.
The Singing Brakeman
Born on September 8, 1897, in Meridian, Mississippi, James Charles Rodgers has become known as “The Father of Country Music”.