Train Song Suggestions
 

We have an annual train song festival out here, and I’d like to start gearing up to try to get a slot for next year’s festival. Looking for song suggestions that would be appropriate for a solo guitarist/singer. Bonus for crossover cowboy/train songs.
PS—No: City of New Orleans, Waiting For a Train, Folsom Prison Blues, or the usual suspects! There’s about 6 hours of train songs from various performers, hence the need for some obscure tunes! Maybe I’ll write one!
Thanks!

Is The Wreck Of The Old 97 too much of a usual suspect?

-Mike

Thanks Mike—will give it a listen👍

My son and I are practicing New River Train, him on guitar and me on Clawhammer banjo; fun song.

One of my favorite train songs was written by Bob Westcott. I used to cross paths with Bob often when I was playing out and this was a request I made of him nearly every time.

Another favorite of mine is this one from John Gorka...

No cowboys in this one I'm afraid, but last time I looked they've always been in rather short supply in the UK - from the criminally overlooked Kevin Coyne, and in possibly his first appearance on the AGF:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJtif8tfghE

:guitar:

Well I guess Midnight Special is one of those usual suspects...

Some more:

Train Kept A-Rollin': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkZhJJ8sPmw

K C Moan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orLDnEcVerw

Love In Vain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07T3h0b93Rg

Going where the southern cross the dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQa2IQAH28I

Mobile Line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WFJRMxY74g (one of the first songs I ever learned back in the 60s!)

The Cannonball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3H_TLmsQUo

Engine One-Forty-Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPDbK_GUfOs

Engine Number 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFjYrLxUiXo

I've done an arrangement of Junior Parker's 'Mystery Train' for a long time. Whereas his original is done as a 'dragged shuffle' (for lack of a better description), I do mine in straight time.

Of course everybody thinks of Presley's version, but I never cared for it.

Here's mine:



HE

Merle Haggard Silver Ghost

https://youtu.be/uR75CFVCaNA

Fred Eaglesmith Freight Train

https://youtu.be/A297zT0MiHY

Blind Willie McTells' Statesboro Blues is a train song, more or less.

"You oughta seen that fireman get the boiler hot"

Guy Clark's Texas, 1947 is a good one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxsT...adlVIy&index=1

I do various versions of "Train On The Island" written by J.P. Nestor. It's amenable to whatever permutations you might like to apply to it.

Also, "Little Black Train" as done by Woody Guthrie:

How about Tamp ‘Em Up Solid?

Here’s Ry Cooder’s stellar rendition: