The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #20196   Message #967691
Posted By: Frankham
17-Jun-03 - 11:57 AM
Thread Name: Train Songs
Subject: RE: Train Songs
There are so many. Not many know that the boogie-woogie style of piano playing came from the southwest by itinerant blues piano players emulating the sounds of the fast trains highballing by. They called it "fast Western". Weseley Wallace recorded Train 29 (?), the first boogie-woogie recording on the piano depicting a train ride he had.

Traditional train songs include:
Jay Gould's Daughter- Carl Sandburg's American Songbag
Casey Jones by a wheel-house workman, Saunders who was reputed to write the original
Way Out West, a pop country song of the thirties
All Around the Watertank by the singing brakeman, Jimmy Rogers,
900 Miles, Train 45 and Old Rueben (all related)
Train on the Island from Anthology of American Folk Music, Harry Smith ed. on Folkways
The Train That Took My Gal From Town recorded by Frank Hutchinson,
See Eloise Go Linin' Track (chain gang song)
In the Pines
Jerry Go and Ile That Car...Carl Sandburg, American Songbag
Mormon Railway (Hoorah, Hooray)...Sam Hinton
Variations of John Henry
The Hellbound Train.... sung by Glenn Ohrlin
Hedy West's rewrite on 500 Miles
Thought I Heard That Katy When She Blows...Anthology...Harry Smith
There's plenty more.

Frank Hamilton