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Top 10 Train Song list corrected: Grateful Dead out, Kinks in

So many train songs. I think I said that in my last train post.

To update: We (namely me) made a train list dedicated to Railroad Park, which we love. We also would love to see a children’s choo choo there or at the least a steam engine artifact or something. Anyway, we made the list more or less as an awareness campaign to get folks thinking about it. The official version is that a choo choo train doesn’t fit into the park’s long-term vision.

OK, I hear that.  I suppose visions can be corrected (reminds me I need to make an eye doctor’s appointment soon. But I digress).

So we made the list, I published it here and on AL.com and something bugged me. I  decided I didn’t like our 8th pick ‘Casey Jones’ by the Grateful Dead. Sure it’s a classic, but the cocaine fueled train song seemed inappropriate  for a discussion involving children.

So I asked for and received lots of good suggestions for replacements (see below). Now I am making what might be a  controversial decision. I am replacing ‘Casey Jones’ with two relatively obscure songs by the seemingly obscure, but not really, The Kinks. They are one of my favorite bands which you will find out more about later in myvinylcountdown.com

The replacement songs: ‘Lonesome Train’ (relatively new from head Kink Ray Davies.)

And: ‘Last of the Steam Powered Trains’ (relatively old by the Kinks as a group).

I am going to have those two Kinks selections share the No.8 position in the same way PPM’s ‘500 Miles’ and ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ share No. 1.

Now without further ado here are the Top 10 (er, 12) train songs. be sure to click on the Kinks videos at No. 8 to hear the replacements.

BTW, all of your suggestions, thank you very much, are listed after the Top 10 list.

10: Ozzy Osbourne “Crazy Train”

I know i’t old school heavy metal, but I like it, like it, yes I do.

 

9: Cracker “I See the Light”

Not really thought of as a train song but it is in a punch line sort of way. I just like this song. And if you listen you’ll see why I picked it.

8:  Kinks “Lonesome Train” and “Last of the Steam Powered Trains”

Two good ones but rather obscure. I’m doing my part to change that.

7: Creedence Clearwater Revival. “Midnight Special”

CCR didn’t have many, if any, bad songs. This train song was one great one.

6: “People Get Ready (There’s a train a-coming)” Curtis Mayfield/ Impressions

I do love it when Rod Stewart sings this song but I have to give this to the original. 

But Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions are hard to beat. Here’s Curtis by himself with guitar, beautiful.

5: Blackfoot. “Train Train”

I saw them live years ago and this was the only song I remember. (Maybe it was the only song they played.) If your kids aren’t head banging after Ozzy, they will be by this one.

4: This Train Is Bound For Glory”- Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe – The Old Crow Medicine Show

Good time video almost pushed this higher. Lots of granola and moonshine for this crunchy group of hippie/ roots rockers on a classic, train bound for glory.

3: Bob Dylan. “Slow Train Coming”

Just a good song. Underrated Dylan. Good live version. Alabama angle:

I had a woman out in Alabama, She’s a backwoods girl but she sure was realistic

She said, boy, without a doubt, you got to kick your mess and straighten out, you could die down here, just be another accident statistic

2: Gladys Knight and the Pips. “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

‘I’d rather live in his world than live without him in mine.’ Enough said.

1 (Tie): Johnny Cash. “Folsom Prison Blues.”

Yes, I  copped out and have two as my No. 1. A tie. But I got to those last two and they are such great train songs which  by definition must have a train-whistle ache about them.  After doing this, I looked back and realized I don’t have ‘Peace Train’ by Cat Stevens or some other popular choices for train songs (e.g. Last Train to Clarksville)

But when it came to final two, I could not choose between them. Cop out, yes. But you tell me what to cut. Nevermind, I know which one it will be.

Anyway, it should not be this Cash song. You could do a whole top 10 train songs by Cash alone. And this song might arguably be called a prison song. However, I say, this has one of the most recognizable openings of any train song ever. “I hear the train a coming, it’s coming around the bend.”   The train where people are in fancy dining cars, he laments,  reminds him every day of his lost freedom.

 

1 (Tie)_ Peter Paul and Mary. “500 Miles”

Shuddup. I will defend this No. 1 pick to the ends of the earth or at least 500 miles.

 Honorable Mention: Stoney Larue. “Train to Birmingham”

We’ll start you off with an Honorable  Mention. New song it may crack the list with a little more  time. JA introduced this one to me. Has crying, lying, dying and Birmingham, oh, and a guitar full of blues. Great song. The studio version has a little sad sounding fiddle.

Here is my other honorable mention:  Runaway Train by Soul Asylum and I was considering Clash “Train in Vain,”  then I realized that except in the title, there’s no train a-comin’ in the lyrics. In fact, no train at all unless I’m missing something.

Here’s a list of great train songs submitted by readers. Don’t worry they’ll be on somebody’s train song list somewhere down the line.

  • “Love in Vain” Robert Johnson. The legendary blues guitarist who influenced Clapton and a legion of rock guitar slingers.
  • “Orange Blossom Special,” Johnny Cash.
  • Elizabeth Cotton or Pete Seeger, Freight Train. Cotton is an amazing woman. Check out this video.

  • Paul Simon’s “Train in the Distance.”
  • Aeorosmith “Train Kept a Rollin’ the rollicking  cover of old blues song, also done by the Yardbirds.
  • ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ by the Monkees.
  • The Nields’ “Train.” Leave it to my good friend Bob to come up with something I’ve never heard or heard of — and it’s a great piece by a female duo.
  • “Waitin’ for a Train” by Jimmie Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman, another legendary folk singer (complete with yodels).
  • “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens
  • City of New Orleans” The Arlo Guthrie version of the Steve Goodman song.
  • Syd Straw’s “The Train that Takes You Away.” Great, if not obscure, song.
  • Gary Clarke, Jr’s bluesy rocker, “When My Train Pulls In.” Audience loved him so much they serenaded him before  he launched in bluesy train song.
  • “Throw Mama From a Train — a Kiss a Kiss.” The Sandpipers. Funny funny. Thanks Marvin.
  • Nanci Griffith – 1) So Long Ago. 2) Southbound Train. Nanci has a few train songs in her and I like them all.
  • Janis Joplin – Me and Bobbi McGee. Um, this is possibly my favorite all time song. Not sure it’s a train song, though the protagonist is ‘headin’ for a train,  feeling nearly faded as my jeans.’ Kristofferson wrote. Found this video of an aging Kristofferson doing this — pretty amazing:

    • Eagles – Train Leaves Here This Morning – Pleasant. Not so sure the Dude would like it.
    • Gordon Lightfoot – Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Historic account of real event as Gordon liked to do.
    • Wreck of the Old 97. Classic country sung by Johnny Cash and  others.
    • Desperados waiting for a Train –Guy Clark (several other versions), including the aforementioned Nanci with Clark.
  • “The Train Song” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
  • Chattanooga Choo Choo —classic, written by a songwriting duo while on a train called the Birmingham Special. Would have been a slam dunk if they named it the Birmingham Choo Choo. (Or, perhaps, not)>
  • “The Locomotion” original by LIttle Eva, babysitter for Carole King. Later Grand Funk Railroad.

  • And one reader says it would be a ‘travesty’ to get rid of Grateful Dead entirely so the reader suggested Dead renditions of “Big Railroad Blues” or Willie Fuller’s “Beat It On Down the Line,” either his original or their cover of it.