Suggested by longtime reader Erik North:
What are your top five train songs?
Here’s my list:
- Rosanne Cash, “Runaway Train”
- Pam Tillis, “Train Without a Whistle”
- Dwight Yoakam, “Train in Vain”
- Whiskey Falls, “Last Train Running”
- Clint Black, “There Never Was a Train”
Only know 2
1. Josh Turner Long Black Train
2. Little Big Town Shut Up Train
I don’t know many train songs, but I’m glad you listed Whiskey Falls “Last Train Runnin'” in your list. It’s a shame they, as a group, didn’t go further because that really is one of my favorite country songs I’ve ever heard. You really don’t get lyrics like that anymore in today’s Country Music, at least from the mainstream.
Other train songs I like in no order:
Long Black Train – Josh Turner
Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash (Apparently, people consider this a train song)
Love Train – Big and Rich
Runaway Train – Little Big Town
Not really knowledgeable about songs with trains.
I didn’t think there were that many train songs…but after thinking about it a little ( a quick google search) I realized how many great ones there are.
1. Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
2. Long Black Train – Josh Turner
3. Trains Make Me Lonesome – George Strait
4. Rainy Night in Georgia – Chris Young (I love his cover of it off his ‘The Man I Want to Be’ Album)
5. Runaway Train – Brad Paisley
1. Roger Miller, “Old Toy Trains”
2. Various Artists, “Same Old Train”
3. Rosanne Cash, “My Baby Thinks He’s A Train”
4. Pinmonkey, “That Train Don’t Run”
5. Lorrie Morgan, “Trainwreck of Emotion”
1. The M.T.A – Kingston Trio
2. City of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
3. Ride the Train- Alabama
4. Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & the Pips
5. Engine, Engine #9 -m Roger Miller
Since I am partly responsible for this category:
1. TRAIN LEAVES HERE THIS MORNING–The Eagles
2. MYSTERY TRAIN–Elvis Presley
3. MIDNIGHT FLYER–The Eagles
4. GLENDALE TRAIN–New Riders of the Purple Sage
5. MY BABY THINKS HE’S A TRAIN–Rosanne Cash
“Long Black Train.”
Eric Church is fond of populating his songs with train metaphors. “Devil, Devil” and “My Heart’s Got A Memory” are prime examples.
Boxcar Willie – Wabash Cannonball
(lets face it: You should just put Willie’s picture on this topic)
Arlo Guthrie – City of New Orleans (like it better than Willie’s version (the other Willie))
Johnny Cash – Rock Island Line
Roger Miller – King of the Road
Tractors – Baby Likes To Rock It
Sticking to ones that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Guy Clark – “Desperadoes Waiting For A Train”
Billy Joe Shaver – “Georgia On A Fast Train”
Alan Jackson – “Freight Train”
Tim McGraw – “Train #10”
Doug Seegers – “Gotta Catch That Train”
1. Jenny Dreamed of Trains – Vince Gill
2. Fast Movin Train – Restless Heart
3. Runaway Train – Roseanne Cash
4. Midnight Train to Memphis – The Steeldrivers
5. Midnight Train – Charlie Daniels Band
And to cheat, since I picked one already selected:
Patty Loveless: “Santa Train”
1. Rosanne Cash – Runaway Train
2. Dolly, Emmylou & Linda – The Blue Train
3. Kathy Mattea – Train of Memories
1. Folsom Prison Blues: Johnny Cash
2. City of New Orleans: Willie Nelson
3. Daddy Loved Trains: Keith Whitley
4. My Baby Thinks He’s a Train: Rosanne Cash
5. Trains Make Me Lonesome: George Strait
1. Waylon Jennings, “Mental Revenge”: “Well, I hope that the train/ From Caribou Maine/ Runs over your new love affair/ You walk the floor/ From door to door/
And pull out your peroxide hair.”
(Being from Maine, it’s fun to hear a country song mention a Maine town more north than Bangor, Maine. I’ve lived in Bangor for 9 years, but pretty much grew up in the town next to Caribou, Maine.)
Other Favorites:
2. Abigail Washburn, “Last Train”
3. Billy Joe Shaver, “Georgia on a Fast Train”
4. Buddy Miller, “The Train that Carried My Gal from Town”
5. Dierks Bentley, “Train Travelin’
I’m Movin’ On – Hank Snow
Tennessee Central #9 – Roy Acuff
Night Train To Memphis – Roy Acuff
Orange Blossom Special – Johnny Cash, Johnny Darrell, others
Waiting For A Train – Jimmie Rodgers
Golden Rocket – Hank Snow
I love trains.
1. Alan Jackson – Freight Train (and a different song of the same name by Aaron Watson)
2. David Nail – Strangers on a Train
3. Marty Stuart – Ghost Train Ghost Four-Oh-Ten
4. Bobby Cash – Train
5. Troy Cassar-Daley – “Wish I Was A Train” and “Trains”
@Leeann – The song “A Tombstone Every Mile” by Dick Curless is about a truck rather than a train but it is in northern Maine.
“You have really got it made, if you’re haulin’ goods
Anyplace on earth but those Hainesville Woods
It’s a stretch of road up north in Maine
That’s never, ever, ever seen a smile
If they buried all the truckers lost in them Woods
There’d be a tombstone every mile
Count ’em off, there’d be a tombstone every mile”
Most of these have already been said, but, as I look at these responses, country music has A LOT of good train songs.
1. “That Train Don’t Run”: Pinmoneky
2. “Long Black Train”: Josh Turner
3. “Shut Up Train”: Little Big Town
4. “City Of New Orleans”: Arlo Guthrie
5. “Ghost Town Train”: Tim McGraw
Bob,
Yes, I’ve heard of that song. As you probably know, Curless had ties to Maine, including being born in Northern Maine, about 10 minutes from where I grew up.
Some songs that may not necessarily be about trains, but have “train” in the song title.
1. Black Train – Pinmonkey
2. Fast Movin’ Train – Restless Heart
3. Slow Train – Shooter Jennings
4. That Train – Doc Walker
5. Night Train – Jason Aldean
* Also, just thought it should be mentioned that Wichita Lineman has nothing to do with trains, but is a fantastic song.
Hoggy from Oz,
I’d forgotten about “Strangers on a Train”. That’s one of my favorites. Also, nice choice on the Alan Jackson one. That’s a good song and a pretty underrated album imo.
I like John Anderson’s ‘Jessie Clay and the 12.05’ – fits the story song category well too.
1. Strangers On A Train- David Nail
2. Where’s A Train- Andy Griggs
3. Daddy Loved Trains- Keith Whitley
4. Runaway Train- Soul Asylum
5. Ghost Town Train- Troy Olsen