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  #1  
Old 09-20-2022, 08:53 PM
Stringmaster Stringmaster is offline
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Default 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!

Last edited by Stringmaster; 09-20-2022 at 09:36 PM.
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Old 09-20-2022, 09:11 PM
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hubcapsc hubcapsc is offline
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Is The Wreck Of The Old 97 too much of a usual suspect?

-Mike
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Old 09-20-2022, 09:29 PM
Stringmaster Stringmaster is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hubcapsc View Post
Is The Wreck Of The Old 97 too much of a usual suspect?

-Mike
Thanks Mike—will give it a listen👍
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Old 09-20-2022, 09:30 PM
jacot23 jacot23 is online now
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My son and I are practicing New River Train, him on guitar and me on Clawhammer banjo; fun song.
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Old 09-20-2022, 09:51 PM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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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.

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Old 09-20-2022, 09:57 PM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Another favorite of mine is this one from John Gorka...

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2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi
2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood
2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar
2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce
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1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce

along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos.

YouTube
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Old 09-21-2022, 01:34 AM
Suilven Suilven is online now
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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

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Old 09-21-2022, 03:00 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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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
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Old 09-21-2022, 03:56 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stringmaster View Post
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!
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
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Old 09-21-2022, 06:13 AM
Skarsaune Skarsaune is offline
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Merle Haggard Silver Ghost

https://youtu.be/uR75CFVCaNA

Fred Eaglesmith Freight Train

https://youtu.be/A297zT0MiHY
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  #11  
Old 09-21-2022, 06:54 AM
Bluenose Bluenose is offline
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Blind Willie McTells' Statesboro Blues is a train song, more or less.

"You oughta seen that fireman get the boiler hot"
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Old 09-21-2022, 07:43 AM
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nbs2005 nbs2005 is offline
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Guy Clark's Texas, 1947 is a good one.

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

Last edited by nbs2005; 09-21-2022 at 08:05 AM.
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  #13  
Old 09-21-2022, 07:53 AM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is online now
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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:


Last edited by Rudy4; 09-21-2022 at 08:03 AM.
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  #14  
Old 09-21-2022, 07:59 AM
davidbeinct davidbeinct is offline
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  #15  
Old 09-21-2022, 08:07 AM
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David Eastwood David Eastwood is offline
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How about Tamp ‘Em Up Solid?

Here’s Ry Cooder’s stellar rendition:

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