posted
Great thread and some wonderful songs listed here. I'll add Norman Blake's "Down Home Summertime Blues." If you don't know Norman, he is probably the best flat picker there is. Has quite a few train-themed original tunes. Here is a sample lyric:
"Silver rails, talking wires, Black crossties and the hoboes fires, Lord, I've got the down home summertime blues.
Down by the watertank, down by the depot, See that train just a comin' in really slow. Me and Ben just sittin' in a boxcar, Strumming and pickin' that depot guitar.."
And so on. Gotta be a cool RR station that includes a "depot guitar." Norman recorded a huge catalog with Rounder and Rhino in the 70s/80s; he is something of a recluse.
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
When traveling through verdant countryside, such as the Cardinal or Adirondack, how about this one:
(edit Nov 17-12: material no longer standing)
Now that You Tube is owned by Google, how does this stuff ever remain standing (or is there a 'tooth fairy' somewhere paying the royalties).
Of interest, Toyota is now using a "brief passage' of this song in a 'cute' ad for Prius. I must wonder if such was crafted by the producers in order to push but not exceed Fair Use.
But then there are some Rights infringement matters that simply "have gone too far":
posted
Good song, Gil -- in my younger days, I put together a whole bunch of similar "slide and sound shows" -- I used to take slides of everything -- train trips, ski trips, geologic field trips, family activities, social/club activities, etc, etc., and I would put them to music much like the Bellamy Bros. piece. Each of my "slide and sound shows" contained maybe 10 or 12 songs, and each one lasted about 35-45 minutes. A few years ago I put my shows on video, and still look at them now and them.
Of course, there are MANY MANY train pictures in my shows!!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Utah Phillips of Moose Turd Pie fame has written and sang many train songs including one about Phoebe Snow.
Posts: 229 | From: Long Beach CA | Registered: Jan 2007
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Thanks for mentioning Utah Phillips. Our local Public Radio station (I listen to their music, not their politics!) has been playing a lot of Phillips recordings, including railroad songs, since his unfortunate demise about a year ago:
posted
Thanks for the link, Twin Star! Now all we need are some ponies running through the bushes behind the bagpipers!!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Well I must say that my horizons have been expanded. I had no idea the "Stones" had a railroad song among other more contemporary artists.
As tough as it is to add anything to the abundance of railroad songs mentioned I will make a contribution that is little known. It is the Ozark folk song "Iron Mountain Baby".
Lyrics:
I have a song I'd like to sing It's awful but it's true About a baby, thrown from a train By a woman, I know not who
The train was running at full speed T'was northbound number nine An' as it crossed the rivers bridge She cast it from the door
A Mother unkind, a Father untrue And yet I'm bound to say It must have grieved that Mother's heart To cast her baby away
The leaves in which this baby was found Was fourteen inches long Five inches wide, six inches deep An',O, so closely bound
It was Bill Williams who found this babe He heard its helpless cry He took it to his loving wife She would not let it die
She bathed and washed its little head An' soon it hushed its cry God bless them both while they live God bless them when they die
We'll name him William Roscoe Because he has no name Then, if he grows to be a man He'll wear it just the same
This ends my song, my story I've told I'll say goodbye to all Until we meet around the throne In that bright world above all
The tune is sung in true Ozark/Appalachian mountain style, plaintive and sing song. It is an acquired appreciation. And it exudes pathos and poignancy only as that culture could express it.
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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I once thought that John Henry was a real person, working for the Chesapeake & Ohio. The incident, where he raced against a steam hammer, was supposedly near Talcott, WV.
I don't know if the story is true or just folklore and fable.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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One problem, where did the lyricist learn his geography? Save some man made exceptions, such as in my proximity with the Chicago River, rivers flow down to the sea, and not (@4:40) "up the St Lawrence and out to Gaspe'. "Down" could have been easily substituted.
I am honestly surprised during the song's production no one ever caught that one, or of they did, the lyrics were allowed to stand.
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Probably song writers don't worry too much about accuracy, but perhaps there is a plausible explanation. If you're looking at a map, north is generally considered 'up', while south is 'down' as in down south. Since the St. Lawrence runs pretty directly northeast from Lake Erie, I guess you could call it up.
All Lightfoot's songs are good and I believe I still have an LP around called something like Gord's Gold. But, I like any song performed by Johnny Cash, a real train lover. One of his earliest songs, if not the first was 'Hey Porter'. Maybe not great music, but certainly top tapping.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Palmland, thanks for bringing up the Man In Black's early song "Hey Porter." Swell little song. I always liked it, since portering was what I was doing for a living. This month was my 10 year anniversary from abruptly leaving the railway, due to a severe vehicle accident not my fault.
How about Hank Snow's "Golden Rocket?" That little gem was probably about the time of "Hey Porter." (I think someone already mentioned the Golden Rocket, but I'll name it again!)
Snow, Cash; what great voices they had..
At least the "Hag" is still with us, and gives the occasional concert. All those guys gravitated toward train songs; part of their era, I guess. Speaking of Utah Phillips, I still have his "pure train songs" album, on black vinyl no less and still played a few times a year. Kept my "turntable" - radio-station grade Marantz. Love that analog 'vibrating needle' signal!
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by palmland: Probably song writers don't worry too much about accuracy
I certainly have to concur with that thought, Mr. Palmland; where did the lyricist of "Casey Jones" ever come up with "six-eight wheeler"?
quote:Originally posted by palmland: If you're looking at a map, north is generally considered 'up', while south is 'down' as in down south. Since the St. Lawrence runs pretty directly northeast from Lake Erie, I guess you could call it up.
Again an interesting thought. I can't think of a major North American river in which downstream flows is any Northerly direction, i.e. between 300 and 60dgs on the compass rose. I guess the Ohio River flows down in an NW direction around Pittsburgh at its "mouth' and again through portions of Ohio and Kentucky, but it still is basically E-W. Also, same could be said of the Tennessee River, which whenever I drive I-24 "end to end' (an off topic aside: I don't think the "highwaymen" are ever going to get their wish of an extension from I-57 to St Louis; even they every so often have to take a lesson from Mick) seems to flow "all over the place" but still E-W. Possibly the Cumberland River through Nashville could also flow down in a Northerly direction, but I still have difficulties figuring out where that one goes.
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
"Canadian Railroad Trilogy" has always been one of my favorite railroad songs -- in fact, I like everything Lightfoot has done, and I too still have several of his LP albums, including "Gord's Gold."
When my wife and I rode the Canadian back in 2008, they had a singer in the "departure lounge" for the train at Vancouver Station. He was taking requests, and I figured for sure he would DEFINITELY know "Canadian Railroad Trilogy." I asked him to play it, but he couldn't remember more than about the first 2 or 3 lines of the song!!!
Gil -- chill out about the geography of "up" or "down" the St. Lawrence -- haven't you heard of poetic license? I've actually ridden the old Chaleur, which went "up" (north) the St. Lawrence (which we all know is actually downstream) to Gaspe.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Having lived in Jacksonville, FL for a number of years the local residents are very proud of the fact that the St. Johns river does in fact flow north from central Florida before it dumps into the Atlantic near that city at Atlantic Beach (and also where a couple air craft carriers are based at the Naval base).
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: I can't think of a major North American river in which downstream flows is any Northerly direction, i.e. between 300 and 60dgs on the compass rose. I guess the Ohio River flows down in an NW direction around Pittsburgh at its "mouth' and again through portions of Ohio and Kentucky, but it still is basically E-W. Also, same could be said of the Tennessee River, which whenever I drive I-24 "end to end' (an off topic aside: I don't think the "highwaymen" are ever going to get their wish of an extension from I-57 to St Louis; even they every so often have to take a lesson from Mick) seems to flow "all over the place" but still E-W. Possibly the Cumberland River through Nashville could also flow down in a Northerly direction, but I still have difficulties figuring out where that one goes. [/QB]
******************** I don't know many rivers which flow north, Mr. Norman. A few which more-or-less flow north are the Eel River, here in Northern Calif. the Little Big Horn River, the Willamette River in Oregon, and the Athabasca River up in Alberta, which has a nice, photogenic water fall.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
As Palmland says, the St. Johns in Florida is one of the few major N. American rivers which flows north.
The upper part of the Yellowstone River, from Y. Lake up to northern Montana, where it joins the Missouri, is basically N-flowing also. Plus the Snake River flows north from the Grand Tetons up across Idaho and eventually into the Columbia River along the OR-ID border (at Ontario, OR, I might add -- a former AMTRAK station on the Pioneer route!)
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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