I mentioned Dr. A’s birthday season and the Mardi Gras Express yesterday. That inspired this post.
Trains have long been a favorite topic of songwriters. The very sound of a train is musical: much of Johnny Cash’s early work has the chug-a-chug racket that trains make; I Walk The Line is an excellent example. That song’s appearance in this week’s Friday Cocktail Hour is why this list is Cashless. I try not to repeat myself. Do I succeed? Discuss amongst yourselves.
This is a literal list; all the songs have the word train in the title. I picked my favorite version of each train tune. They’re arranged in chronological order based on the recording date. That’s why the oldest song, Little Black Train is the list’s caboose. I dig Carlene Carter’s take on her family classic, so I went there. That goes for The Band’s version of Mystery Train as well. Sorry, Elvis.
Enough with the preliminaries, on with the show this is it.
We begin with Billy Strayhorn’s urban train tune, which was the signature song of the eternally urbane Duke Ellington.
It’s time for a double dose of Night Train: James Brown followed by Oscar Peterson.
Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?
All aboard the Last Train To Clarksville with those lovable cutups, The Monkees. Hey, hey.
What’s a train tune list without this classic by my countryman Steven Demetre Georgiou DBA Cat Stevens and/or Yusuf Islam?
The critics slammed Moondog Matinee when it was released because it was a covers album. I beg to differ: it’s among The Band’s finest albums and put them ahead of the curve when it came to covers records.
A stone cold classic by the fine band with a dumb name:
Jeff Lynne. Electric Light Orchestra. Say no more.
I know: Runaway Train is about runaways, but I dig the song. Besides, lead singer Dave Pirner lives in New Orleans. That’s good enough for me.
A song about childhood by Difford and Tilbrook:
What’s not to love about this live pairing of Cyndi Lauper and Allen Toussaint?
Here’s hoping this song isn’t autobiographical. I like trains as much as the next guy but being born on one sounds fraught. Gimme a hospital any day.
Finally, Carlene Carter with a traditional song that her great-uncle AP Carter copyrighted in the 1930’s.
What would an Adrastos listicle be without some lagniappe? I’ve posted two train tunes on the Friday Cocktail Hour this year. Click on the links to enjoy these terrific train tunes:
Ready for some more lagniappe? The last word goes to Paul Simon:
Warren Zevon and the band get funky…
Nighttime in the Switching Yard
This stumper is no stumper for this post. What ties these three songs together:
Midnight Special – Creedence Clearwater Revival (and a host of others)
Dixie Flyer – Randy Newman
The City of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
New Orleans, naturally.
The song titles are all named for trains.
Syd Straw’s “The Train That Takes You Away,” from the album “War And Peace” is also very worthy.