ADD: Train Whistle Nightmare (& related songs)

Subject: Lyr Req: TRAIN WHISTLE NIGHTMARE
From: GUEST,JONATHAN HEWLETT
Date: 30 Jul 09 - 04:42 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics Train Whistle Nightmare by Joe "Cannonball" Lewis?

Subject: ADD: Train Whistle Nightmare
From: Gene
Date: 30 Jul 09 - 06:38 PM

Sounds like this to me..

TRAIN WHISTLE NIGHTMARE
As recorded by Joe "Cannonball" Lewis

I love hillbilly music, those good old country songs
But now on ev'ry jukebox my favorites all are gone'
Ev'ry record tells about a famous railroad train
I've heard them lonesome whistles till they're drivin' me insane

The Pan American Flyer, Express and Sante Fe
Fireball Mail and Hummin'bird a-screamin' night and day
In dreams I hear that Cannonball a-callin' for clear track
And then I hear the freight train whistle answer him right back

Now if I go to heaven they'll send me in a plane
Where I won't hear the whistle blowin' on that Glory Train
Those 8-wheel drivers rollin' won't cause a worried mind
Like all those Midnight Flyer whistles screamin' down the line

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Train Whistle Nightmare
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jul 09 - 07:03 PM

Great transcription, Gene. The only thing I hear different is

Ev'ry record tells about some famous railroad train

I wouldn't vouch completely for the last verse, but I don't hear it well enough to say anything different.

The Joe "Cannonball" Lewis recording was made about 1951. You can find it on the Rounder CD, Train 45: Railroad Songs of the Early 1900's.

-Joe-

Now, an interesting challenge would be to find the songs he's referring to, and the songs played in the instrumental breaks between verses. "Wabash Cannonbal" was the only one I knew right off.

Subject: About the Pan American Flyer (train)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jul 09 - 07:24 PM

Here's an interesting quote from Swinging the machine By Joel Dinerstein:

The real-life whistle of the Pan American Flyer was literally the signature sound of the [Grand Ole] Opry in the mid-1930s. WSM in Nashville took advantage of the location of its transmitter next to the L&N (Louisville & Nashville) tracks near the Brentwood, Tennessee, radio station. An engineer thought to place an open mike by the track to catch the Pan American as it left Nashville, headed for New Orleans," and every day, "like clockwork," when the train known as "the Pan" blew its whistle approaching the station, the sound would go out over WSM. This was one of the station's most popular features, and it formed a real-life counterpart to the favorite piece by the station's favorite harmonica soloist.

[The first African-american star of the Grand Ole Opry, harmonica player DeFord Bailey, recorded "The Pan American Express" and "Pan American Blues" in 1927.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Train Whistle Nightmare
From: open mike
Date: 30 Jul 09 - 08:46 PM

Robin and Linda Williams mention the Pan American Flyer and I always
thought they were talking (singing) about an Airline!!

Subject: ADD: Pan American Boogie
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jul 09 - 10:42 PM

Hmmm. I've associated Robin & Linda with "Pan American Boogie"....


-Joe-

---

PAN AMERICAN BOOGIE
(Alton & Rabon Delmore)

Listen here folks, if you want to take a ride
Get at ticket on the train they call the L & N Flyer

CHORUS:
It's the Pan American Boogie
Lordy, lordy what a train
Takes off from Cincinnati
And boogies down to New Orleans

With the headlights beaming from side to side
It's the best train liner that you ever will ride

CHORUS:

She boogies on down to Louisville
If the gals won't kiss you then a race horse will

CHORUS:

I've gotta little boy down in Tennessee
At the Nashville station he's a'waiting on me

CHORUS:

She boogies on down to Birmingham
That magic little city down in Alabam
CHORUS:

1st Verse again



To me, this sounds very similar to "Freight Train Boogie."

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: PAN AMERICAN (Hank Williams)
From: Gene
Date: 31 Jul 09 - 10:27 AM

Or this one by Hank Williams...[found online]

PAN AMERICAN
Capo 0-2

|D                                        |G
I have heard your stories about your fast trains
    |A                                                      |D
But now I'll tell you about one all the southern folks have seen
                                                          |G
She's the beauty of the southlands listen to that whistle scream
|A                                          |D
It's that Pan American on her way to New Or-leans.

                                              |G
She leaves Cincinnati headin' down that Dixie line
       |A                                          
When she passes that Nashville tower you can hear that
       |D
whistle whine
                                                            |G
Stick your head right out the window and feel that southern breeze
       |A                                        |D
your're on that Pan American on her way to New Or-leans.

                                                       |G
If your're ever in the south lands and want to see the scenes
    |A                                          |D
Just get your self a ticket on that Pan American Queen
                                                          |G
There's Louisville Nashville Montgomery the cap'tal of Ala-bam
    |A                                                 |D
You pass right through then all when you're New Orleans bound.

                                              |G
She leaves Cincinnati headin' down that Dixie line
       |A
When she passes that Nashville tower you can hear that
       |D
whistle whine
                                                          |G
Stick your head right out the window and feel that southern breeze
       |A                                        |D
you're on that Pan American on her way to New Or-leans.

Subject: Pan American Flyer (Grand Trunk Railroad)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jul 09 - 03:37 PM

This page for the Arlington (Texas) Journal reports a crash of the Pan American Flyer in Detroit in 1903, the train crashing into a crowd and killing seven. The people were hit by the Grand Trunk Chicago-New York express, known as the Pan-American Flyer. The Pan-American Flyer referred to above ran from Cincinnati to New Orleans on the L&N (Louisville & Nashville) Railroad.

Thursday May 7, 1903
SEVEN WERE SLAIN
FLYING TRAIN BEARS DOWN UPON DENSE CROWD
MANY WERE FEARFULLY HURT
Polish Excursionists Waiting for Train Could Not Be Kept Off the Track.

   Detroit, Mich., May 4. – While 1500 Poles were waiting to board an excursion train for their homes in Toledo, after a holiday in Detroit Saturday, a fast passenger train on the Grand Trunk railway crashed into the crowd and killed at least seven persons and injured many others.
   The day had been spent merrily by the members of the Polish Lancers of Toledo, and the hundreds of men, women and children were packed in close quarters at Canfield and Dequiner streets shortly after dark. While the people laughed and talked of the pleasant day enjoyed, the heavy train turned a curve and bore down on the human mass in the darkness. The headlight gave a momentary warning, but the people were crowded and so frightened by the rumble of wheels, the screeching of escaping steam and the grinding of the expeditiously applied airbrakes, that escape from the track was precluded. With a thud, smothered by the human obstruction and supplanted to a degree by the screams of the dying and injured, the huge locomotive plowed through the throng, throwing men, women and children to either side of the track. The very density of the crowd saved many lives, and the victims were hurled on to human cushions.
   The engineer brought his train to a stand as soon as possible, and the police began to remove the dead and injured. All the dead and injured are thought to live in Toledo.
   The death list includes four men one woman and two boys. Walter Sidwick and Frank Rosinski are the only dead persons thus far identified.
   About 8 o'clock the visitors began to gather at the corner of Canfield and Dequiner streets to take the train for Toledo. Both the Lake Shore and Grand Trunk tracks run out from the station on Dequiner street. Four policemen stood at the corner of Canfield and endeavored to keep the excursionists from crowding through the gates onto the track. Despite their efforts hundreds crawled under or over the gates and walked down the dark tracks to await the arrival of their train, which could be seen coming slowly up from the station.
   Probably 1500 persons were scattered along the tracks for two blocks waiting for the Lake Shore excursion train to secure seats. It was only a few blocks down the track, creeping carefully along. Suddenly out from the darkness came the Grand Trunk Chicago-New York express, known as the Pan-American Flyer. It plowed through the mass of people, throwing them to both sides of the track, bruised and maimed, and grinding a number of them under the wheels.
   Four of the dead were killed by the train and (the) others died after being taken to the hospital.

---

I found mention of a song called "Fireball Mail," but no lyrics. I don't know what Santa Fe song "Nightmare" refers to, but the first one that comes to mind is "On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" (Johnny Mercer & Harry Warren, 1946). What about the Hummingbird?

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Fireball Mail
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jul 09 - 04:51 PM

Ah, here's "Fireball Mail":

Earl Scruggs YouTube (instrumental)

Roy Acuff YouTube

Now I rememeber it.


FIREBALL MAIL
Songwriter:Floyd Jenkins (aka Fred Rose)
(as recorded by Wanda Jackson)

Here she comes, look at her roll; there she goes - eatin' that coal
Watch her fly, huggin' the rails; let her by by by, the Fireball Mail

Let her go, look at her steam; hear her blow, whistle and scream
Like a hound waggin' his tail, Dallas bound bound bound the Fireball Mail

[ dobro - steel ]

Engineer makin' up time; tracks are clear, look at her climb
See that freight, clearin' the rail; bet she's late late late the Fireball Mail

Watch her swerve, look at her sway; get that curve out of the way
Watch her fly, look at her sail; let her by by by, the Fireball Mail
Let her by by by, the Fireball Mail; let her by by by, the Fireball Mail

source:

Subject: ADD Version: Fireball Mail
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jul 09 - 04:58 PM

FIREBALL MAIL
Recorded by Roy Acuff
Written by Floyd Jenkins (aka Fred Rose)

[G] Here she comes - look at her roll
There she goes - eatin' that [D7] coal
Watch her [G] fly - look at her sail
let her by, by, [D7] by - it's the Fireball [G] Mail.

CHORUS

Let her go - look at her steam
Hear her blow - whistle and scream
Like a hound - waggin' his tail
Dallas bound, bound, bound - the Fireball Mail.

Engineer - makin' up time
Tracks are clear - look at her climb
See that freight - clearin' the rail
Bet she's late, late, late - the Fireball Mail.

Watch her swerve - look at her sway
Get that curve - out of the way
Watch her fly - look at her sail
Let her by, by, by - the Fireball Mail.



Source: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/acuff-roy/fireball-mail-8520.html

Another Roy Acuff YouTube

---

So, those are the lyrics - any information about the train? All the song says is that it's headed for Dallas. I suppose a mail train isn't important enough to get historical mention, but is there anything about the train and its route?

OK, and about the Hummingird???

Subject: ADD: Glory Train (Baker Knight)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jul 09 - 05:27 PM

Well, here's a Glory Train song that's been recorded many times. Songwriter was Baker Knight (1933-2005).

Crimson River Quartet YouTube

Ricky Nelson YouTube

GLORY TRAIN
(Baker Knight)

Ride that Glory Train,
Ride that Glory Train,
Ride that Glory Train,
Ride that train!

I'm gonna ride that Glory Train,
I'm gonna ride, ride, ride that Glory Train;
Now when my race on earth is through there's one thing I want to do,
Is to get aboard and ride that Glory Train.

There's a railroad train that's leaving just aroaring down the track,
And the passengers on board - never coming back;
Now the Glory Train that's leaving, that train I wanna ride,
And I'll meet you up in Heaven where God's children all abide.

I'm gonna ride that Glory Train,
I'm gonna ride, ride, ride that Glory Train;
Now when my race on earth is through there's one thing I want to do,
Is to get aboard and ride that Glory Train.

Hear the thunder of the engine, get on board her while you can,
For that final destination in that far off promised land;
Where the Master will be waiting in his home way up above,
And He'll fill our hearts with gladness with great eternal love.

I'm gonna ride that Glory Train,
I'm gonna ride, ride, ride that Glory Train;
Now when my race on earth is through there's one thing I want to do,
Is to get aboard and ride that Glory Train.

Ride that Glory Train,

When you step up to the station and the train's about to leave,
You'll be sure and have your ticket if you really do believe;
Now the Master's waiting for you in his new home up above,
And he'll fill our hearts with gladness through his great eternal love.

I'm gonna ride that Glory Train,
I'm gonna ride, ride, ride that Glory Train;
Now when my race on earth is through there's one thing I want to do,
Is to get aboard and ride that Glory Train.

I'm gonna ride, ride, ride that Glory Train!


Source: http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/kenskorner/glorytrain.html (Ascension Quartet)

---

(Ricky Nelson Version)


GLORY TRAIN
(Baker Knight)

I want to ride that glory train
I want to ride, ride, ride that glory train
Yes, all I want to do
When my life on earth is through
Is to get aboard and ride that glory train

Ah, there's a ralroad train that's leavin'
Just rolling down the track
And the passengers aboard it boy
They're never coming back
It's a glory train that's leaving
It's the train I long to ride
To that home way up in heaven
Where God's children all abide

I want to ride that glory train
I want to ride, ride, ride that glory train
Yes, all I want to do
When my life on earth is through
Is to get aboard and ride that glory train

Hear the thunder of engine
Get aboard her if you can
For the final destination
Is that far off promised land
Where the master will be waiting
In his home way up above
Just to fill our hearts with gladness
And his great eternal love

I want to ride that glory train
I want to ride, ride, ride that glory train
Yes, all I want to do
When my life on earth is through
Is to get aboard and ride that glory train

When you get down to the station
And the train's about to leave
You be sure to have a ticket
If you really do believe
That the Master's waiting for you
In his home way up above
Just to fill our hearts with gladness
And his great eternal love

I want to ride that glory train
I want to ride, ride, ride that glory train
Yes, all I want to do
When my life on earth is through
Is to get aboard and ride that glory train
Oh that glory train
Yes, that glory train


Source: http://www.lyricsdir.com/rick-nelson-glory-train-lyrics.html

I get the impression from this book excerpt that Ricky Nelson may have been the first to record "Glory Train, which has become a gospel standard.


Now, there's a song called Glory Train by Bob Clayton, but Bob was just a wee tyke when "Train Whistle Nightmare" was recorded, so I doubt that it's Bob's song mentioned in "Nightmare." Maybe it's the one in the Glory Train thread that hasn't been answered.