A train song is a song referencing passenger or freight railroads, often using a syncopated beat resembling the sound of train wheels over train tracks. Trains have been a theme in both traditional and popular music since the first half of the 19th century and over the years have appeared in nearly all musical genres, including folk, blues, country, rock, jazz, world, classical and avant-garde. While the prominence of railroads in the United States has faded in recent decades, the train endures as a common image in popular song.
The earliest known train songs date to two years before the first public railway began operating in the United States. "The Carrollton March", copyrighted July 1, 1828, was composed by Arthur Clifton to commemorate the groundbreaking of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Another song written for the occasion, "Rail Road March" by Charles Meineke, was copyrighted two days after Clifton's, one day before the July 4 ceremonies. The number of train songs that have appeared since then is impossible to determine, not only because of the difficulties in documenting the songs but also in defining the genre.
Following is a list of nearly 800 songs by artists worldwide, alphabetized by song title. Most have appeared on commercially released albums and singles and are notable for either their composers, the musicians who performed them, or their place in the history of the form. Besides recorded works, the list includes songs that preceded the first wax cylinder records of the late 1800s and were published as either broadsides or sheet music.
Top 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z External Links __NOTOC__
0–9 "16.88" (Hayden Thompson) "2:10 Train" (Tom Campbell/Linda Albertano) by Chesapeake, the Fenians, Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein, Steve Gillette, Carolyn Hester, Taj Mahal, Rising Sons, Linda Ronstadt and Stone Poneys "2:15" (John Philip Sousa), copyright 1889 "2:19" (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan) by Jerry Douglas, Tom Waits "2:19 Blues (Mamie's Blues)" (Mamie Desdunes) by Louis Armstrong, Jeff Barnhart, Acker Bilk, Canadian Brass, Ken Colyer, Karen Dalton, Art Hodes, Papa Bue Jensen, Bunk Johnson, Jo Ann Kelly, Cy Laurie, George Lewis, Paul Lingle, Jelly Roll Morton, Leon Redbone, Dave Van Ronk, Eric Von Schmidt and Rolf Cahn "219 Train" (Harvey Fuqua) by the Moonglows "The 3:10 to Yuma" (George Dunning, Ned Washington) by Sandy Denny, Frankie Laine "30 Miles of Railroad Track" (Burt Bacharach, Bob Hilliard) by Hammond Brothers "5:15 (The Angels Have Gone)" (Pete Townshend) by David Bowie, the Who (from Quadrophenia, 1973) "5:15" (Chris Isaak) by Chris Isaak "500 Miles" (Hedy West) by Bill Anderson, Chet Atkins, Hoyt Axton, Bad Astronaut, Bobby Bare, Eric Bibb, Leon Bibb, Bob the Builder, the Brothers Four, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Celtic Thunder, the Country Gentlemen, Jackie DeShannon, Lonnie Donegan, John Duffey, Cliff Eberhardt, Percy Faith, Jimmy Gilmer, the Hooters, the Innocence Mission, the Journeymen, the Kingston Trio, Los Mustang, Laura Love, Arthur Lyman, Waldemar Matuška, Reba McEntire, Chad Mitchell Trio, Bill Perry, Peter and Gordon, Peter, Paul and Mary, Elvis Presley, Zé Renato and Cláudio Nucci, Johnny Rivers, the Seekers, the Seldom Scene, Judee Sill, Terrance Simien, Joe Simon, Sonny & Cher, Billy Strange, the Tokens, Mary Travers, McCoy Tyner and Marc Ribot, Unit 4 + 2, Johnny Ventura, Gene Vincent, Jimmy Vivino, Hedy West, Roger Whittaker, Mike Wilhelm, Foy Willing and Riders of the Purple Sage, Peter Yarrow "8:05" (Don Stevenson, Jerry Miller) by Moby Grape "9 to 5 (Morning Train)" by Sheena Easton "900 Miles" (Traditional) by Bethany and Rufus, Fiddlin' John Carson, Doris Day, Barbara Dane, Dion, Bob Dylan, the Easy Riders, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, John Fahey, Adam Faith, Terry Gilkyson, Woody Guthrie, Richie Havens, Cisco Houston, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, Roger McGuinn, the New Christy Minstrels, Nina & Frederik, Odetta, Esther Ofarim, Reptile Palace Orchestra, Pete Seeger and Mike Seeger, Show of Hands, Red Smiley, Town Criers, the Weavers, Wally Whyton, Glenn Yarbrough
A "A Tunnel Called Time" by Hoboes [CZ], 1977 "Across the Track Blues" (Duke Ellington) by Duke Ellington "Ain't No Brakeman" (Fontaine Brown) by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Coco Montoya "Alabamy Bound", see "I'm Alabama Bound" "All Aboard" (Muddy Waters) by Chuck Berry, Terry Garland, Muddy Waters. Other songs with this title, artists followed by composers: Nat King Cole (Nat King Cole), the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi (Archie Brownlee), the Kinks (Ray Davies), Wynton Marsalis (Wynton Marsalis), Del McCoury (Bradley Rodgers, Charley Stefl, Eugene P. Ellsworth), Allison Moorer (Allison Moorer, Doyle Lee Primm), Jimmy Mundy (Jimmy Mundy), Sly & Robbie (Warrick Lyn) "All Aboard for Dreamland" (Andrew B. Sterling, Gussie L. Davis), sheet music published 1904 "All Down the Line" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) by the Rolling Stones "All Night Train", separate songs, artists followed by composers: The Allman Brothers Band (Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes, Chuck Leavell), New Grass Revival (Steven Briner, Sam Bush), Percy Sledge (unlisted) "Angels Met Him at the Gate" (A. W. French, C. M. Currier), commemorates death of gospel singer and hymn-writer Philip Bliss in 1876 train wreck in Ohio "Anniversary Blue Yodel" see "Blue Yodel No. 7" "Another Journey by Train" (Simon Gallup, Matthieu Hartley, Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst) by the Cure "Another Town, Another Train" (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus) by ABBA "Another Train" (Pete Morton) by Artisan, Sally Barker, Pete Morton, the Poozies. Other songs with this title, artists followed by composers: Mary Gauthier Will Kimbrough (Gwil Owen, Will Kimbrough); Ian McCulloch (Ian McCulloch) "Another Train Coming" (Ronald White, William "Mickey" Stevenson) by Kim Weston "Are Ye Right There, Michael" (Percy French) by Brendan O'Dowda, Sean Ryan "Are You Lonely for Me" (Bert Berns) by Hank Ballard, the Commitments, Grateful Dead, Al Green, Chuck Jackson, Steve Marriott, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, Freddie Scott "Asleep at the Switch" (Charles Shackford), published 1897, by Ernest Stoneman (1926) "At the Sound of the Signal Bell" (Will A. Heelan, Max Dreyfus), sheet music published 1898 "At the Station" (Joe Vitale, Joe Walsh) by Joe Walsh "Atlanta Special, The" (Bukka White) by Bukka White "Atlantic Coastal Line, The" (Fred Burch, Mel Tillis) by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Burl Ives, Charley Pride, Hank Snow "Auctioneer (Another Engine)" (Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe) by R.E.M. "Autorail" (Medoune Diallo) by Orchestra Baobab
B "B & O Blues", separate songs, artists followed by composers: Bumble Bee Slim (Amos Easton), Big Joe Turner (Big Joe Turner) "B & O Blues, No. 2" (Gary Atkinson, Blind Willie McTell) by Blind Willie McTell "Back Back Train" (Fred McDowell) by Mississippi Fred McDowell, Aerosmith "Back on the Train" (Tom Marshall) by Phish, Toots and the Maytals "Back Up Train" (Palmer James, Curtis Rodgers) by Al Green "Bad Luck Blues" (Blind Lemon Jefferson) by Blind Lemon Jefferson "'Battle Fought on the Shields Railway, The'" Broadside published by W. & T. Fordyce, Newcastle, England, 1839 "Beat It on Down the Line" (Jesse Fuller) by Jesse Fuller, the Grateful Dead, Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions "Because He Was Only a Tramp" (Traditional), related to "The Tramp", published c. 1875–1880, by Wyzee Hamilton "Ben Dewberry's Final Run" (Andrew Jenkins, 1927) by Johnny Cash, Jerry Douglas, Steve Forbert, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow "Between Trains", separate songs, artists followed by composers: Auburn Lull (Auburn Lull), Robbie Robertson (Robbie Robertson) "Big Bear Train" (Jimmy Yancey) by Jimmy Yancey "Big Black Train" (George Sherry) by the Earls of Leicester, Flatt & Scruggs "Big Iron Horses" (John Dittrich/Dave Innis/Vince Melamed) performed by Restless Heart, 1992. The co-writer, John Dittrich, who also sang lead on the RCA recording, recalled his childhood in New York State, Avon area, at the Five Arch Bridge, watching steam trains with his grandfather. He was observing the steam trains in the early and mid-1950s, towards the end of the steam era.Big Iron Horses, RCA Records, CD inlay card.Restless Heart music video, on "A Collection Of Videos" by Restless Heart, 1993, VHS tape. Out of print. "Big Railroad Blues" (Noah Lewis) by Cannon's Jug Stompers (1928), Grateful Dead "Big Train", separate songs, artists followed by composers: Black Country Communion (Glenn Hughes); Booker T. & the MG's, Steve Marriott, Conway Twitty (Al Jackson, Jr., Booker T. Jones, Lewis Steinberg, Steve Cropper); Brave Old World (Alan Bern, Traditional); Michael Pickett (Shawn Kellerman); Mike Watt (Tony Kinman); David Lee Roth (Joey Hunting, Terry Kilgore, David Lee Roth, Preston Sturges) "Big Train (from Memphis)" (John Fogerty) by John Fogerty "Big Wheels" (Clovis Yarnall) by Hank Snow "Bill Groggin's Goat" (Traditional) by Sara Hickman "Bill Mason" (Copyrighted by Roy Harvey, from poem by Bret Harte) by Roy Harvey and the North Carolina Ramblers (1927), Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers (1929) "Billy Richardson's Last Ride" (Carson Robison, Cleburne C. Meeks) by Vernon Dalhart (1926) "Black Girl" (variation of "The Longest Train"/"In the Pines") by Long John Baldry, Lonnie Donegan, Marianne Faithfull, Clifford Jordan, Journeymen, Lead Belly, Nirvana ("Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"), Pete Seeger, Josh White "Black Train" (Phil Collen) by Def Leppard "Black Train" (Jeffrey Lee Pierce) by The Gun Club "Black Train Blues, The" (Bukka White) by Bukka White "Black Train Song" (The Doors, Junior Parker, Sam Phillips) by the Doors "Blow That Lonesome Whistle, Casey" (Al Dexter) by Al Dexter "Blow Yo' Whistle, Freight Train" (Alton and Rabon Delmore) by the Delmore Brothers, Happy and Artie Traum "Blue Railroad Train" (Alton Delmore) by the Delmore Brothers, Hot Tuna, Jorma Kaukonen, Geoff and Maria Muldaur, the Tony Rice Unit, Marty Stuart, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Doc and Merle Watson Additional song with this title written and recorded by Danny Schmidt. "Blue Smoke" (Dolly Parton) by Dolly Parton 2014 "Blue Train" by Johnny Cash, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Marty Stuart (Billy Smith); "Blue Train", separate songs, artists followed by composers: Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Grant Green, GRP All-Star Big Band, Dave Grusin, Conrad Herwig, J. J. Johnson, Byard Lancaster, Archie Shepp Quartet, Kenny Werner, Joe Lee Wilson (John Coltrane); Tripping Daisy (Tim DeLaughter and Tripping Daisy); Kenny Rogers (Pat Donohue); Billy Hancock (Billy Hancock); Antônio Carlos Jobim (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Lô Borges and Ronaldo Bastos); Kevin Johnson (Kevin Johnson); Cibo Matto (Cibo Matto); Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (Charlie Jones, Jimmy Page, Michael K. Lee and Robert Plant); Maura O'Connell, Linda Ronstadt-Emmylou Harris-Dolly Parton (Jennifer Kimball and Tom Kimmel); Asian Kung-Fu Generation (Burū Torein) "Blue Train (of the Heartbreak Line)" (John D. Loudermilk) by Pat Boone, Bjøro Håland, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, John D. Loudermilk "Blues for Dixie" (O.W. Mayo) by Merle Haggard "Blues in the Night" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) by Harold Arlen, Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Cab Calloway, Eva Cassidy, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Quincy Jones, Ledisi, Julie London, Jimmie Lunceford, Katie Melua, Johnny Mercer, Artie Shaw, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Kate Smith, Jo Stafford, Big Joe Turner "Boomer's Story" (Carson Robison), see "The Railroad Boomer" "Born on a Train" (Stephin Merritt) by The Magnetic Fields "Bound for Hell" (David J) by Love and Rockets, "Boxcar" (Neil Young) by Neil Young "Boxcar Blues" (Boxcar Willie) by Boxcar Willie, Maggie Jones "Boxcar's My Home" (Lloene Martin) by Boxcar Willie