ADD: South Bound Passenger Train (Southbound)

Subject: Southbound Passenger Train
From: GUEST,The Rose Tattoo
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:07 PM

Howdy Folks! I'm new here, so don't know if this is too obscure a request. Looking for the lyrics (actually just a phrase from) Southbound Passenger Train. The only recording I know of was by Doc Watson, with The Frosty Morning Band , I think. .. from the late 70's or so. The phrase I cannot decipher occurs twice in the song, between the lines 'She is some momma'..... and ...'from Birmingham'. I'm stuck with a 20 year old cassette recording that's pretty Muddy, which seems appropriate. If anyone can fathom the phrase, we'd be grateful! For The Roses, Bruce Brackney aka 'Haywire Brack'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:18 PM

No luck with Google, but I did find out it's on the album "Doc and the Boys" if anyone has it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:40 AM

All I remember in that spot is "Woo Woo" in the background... throughout the song, also, a number of the phrases are echoed by the backup singers.... "way down in Birmingham" is in there... hopefully that is what you are hearing.

If not, if you hang around long enough I may turn up the tape. (Unless it's already out on loan with the Gospel Tape Lending Library.) I've sung along with it a million times, but not, apparetnly, recently enough to recall every syllable!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:42 AM

..... and later in the song, "till I hear that old conductor call, 'All out for Birminghammmmm.....' ".

*G* Now it's gonna keep me up all night running through my head!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: WickedLad
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:15 PM

Southbound Passenger Train is track 9 on Doc And The Boys also by the MASTERS FAMILY columbia records CO47734=1A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: GUEST,Chance
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 02:07 PM

I believe I saw Laurel and Hardy sing and dance to that song in an early black and white movie. If any one knows the title, let me know. I love to see them do it again.

regards, Chance

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: Tomber9
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 11:44 PM

I have "Southbound Passenger Train" by Doc & the Boys & also by "The Limeliters. In both versions, it is "She is some momma (Way Down) From Birmingham." Much clearer to understand in The Limeliters version.

Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:09 AM

As I recall (and said above), those are the words... but in the Doc version, I believe the soloist (not Doc) sort of slides the words with an accent so it sounds more like "Uhhhhwwwway down in Birrrr-minghammmmm.... the pitches and and vowels are slding around there getting onto the W in "Way," and I can see (hear) how it would be hard to nail it down.

Still haven't found my tape! Just rememberin'!

All aboard!

*G*

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: GUEST,the Rose Tattoo
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 12:19 AM

thanks to all for your replies.. Esp. Tomber9 who sowed the seed of aural clarity in testifying to the Limelighter's version.... I figured the song was professionally written... but hadn't figured on the Limelighters as a vehicle of comparison, let alone clarity... In the foregoing meanwhile, I asked Art Thieme about the mechanism of responding to directly tocontributors..... he said you can't unless a member, so I'm donning the Emporer's Clothes of annonymity to ask if anyone could send along the authorship of the song... ie credits as to authorship of lyric and/or melody as listed on whichever recording you possess or can refer to.... Many thanks in advance... Sorry for the seeming jumbled reply.... fittingly appropriate Spacings seemed insurmountable For the Roses... Haywire Brack

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: Tomber9
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 12:56 AM

Rose Tattoo,

Here is a link to a 1920's recordiding of this song, it doesn't attribute the writer, but am still looking. Let me know if you find out who it is.

Tom

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Afxdgylkoxpmb#TRACK

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Apr 02 - 10:06 PM

"South Bound Passenger Train" (note "South Bound" is 2 words) was recorded by Bryant's Jubilee Quartet / Quintette. Two versions of it appear on the Document CD #5437: "Complete Recorded Works (1928-31)," 1996. AMG classifies them as a gospel group, although apparently some of their songs were secular. No composer is identified at AMG's site. It was also recorded by the Limeliters.

I may look up some more information later, but right now my wife is bugging me to let her use the computer!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Apr 02 - 10:31 PM

There're sound clips by Bryant's Jubilee Quartet / Quintette, Bryant's Jubilee Quartet/Quintet (another version), and The Limeliters.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southbound Passenger Train
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Apr 02 - 11:08 PM

A tune called "Southbound" is in "Hear the Whistle Blow" by Flatt and Scruggs, Columbia CL2685/CS9486. Also on "Railroad Man" by Hank Snow, RCA Victor LPM 2705/LSP2705. (Norm Cohen, "The Long Steel Rail"). No idea if they are the same or not.

Subject: ADD: South Bound Passenger Train
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 04:41 AM

Here's my transcription of the Limeliters recording. It almost sounds like a barbershop arrangement to me. I really like it.
-Joe Offer-

South Bound Passenger Train

I'm gonna ride (gonna ride), I mean (I mean)
That south bound passenger train
I'm gonna buy me a ticket just as long as my arm
I'm gonna ride that train, baby, all night long.

I'm gonna ride (gonna ride), I mean (I mean)
That south bound passenger train
Until I hear that old conductor say,
"All out for Birmingham!"

I got a letter from my doll babe
Way down in Birmingham
She's the cutest little doll babe
Way down in Birmingham

Well, she's so sweet and she's so neat,
That when she walk-a,
She knock-a you off-a your feet
She is some mama,
Way down from Birmingham

I'm gonna ride (gonna ride), I mean (I mean)
That south bound passenger train
I hear the engineer say,
"Put your shovel in the coal,
Stick your head out the window,
See the drivers roll."

I'm gonna ride (gonna ride), I mean (I mean)
That south bound passenger train
Until I hear that old conductor say,
"All out for Birmingham!"

And when I hear that whistle blow, "whoo-whoo,"
It's music to my ears.
And when I'm with my doll babe,
I don't shed no lonesome tears.

Well, she's so sweet and she's so neat,
That when she walk-a,
She knock-a you off-a your feet
She is some mama,
Way down from Birmingham

I'm gonna ride (gonna ride), I mean (I mean)
That south bound passenger train
I'm gonna buy me a ticket just as long as my arm
I'm gonna ride that train, baby, all night long.

I'm gonna ride (gonna ride), I mean (I mean)
That south bound passenger train
Until I hear that old conductor say,
"All out for Birmingham!"

traditional, arranged by Doc Watson
Transcribed from the CD, The Limeliters: Alive! In Concert

Subject: Lyr Add: SOUTH BOUND PASSENGER TRAIN
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Oct 14 - 06:07 PM

SOUTH BOUND PASSENGER TRAIN
As sung by Bryant's Jubilee Singers¹, 1928 and 1931²

Mm-mm-mm-mm.³

CHORUS: Gonna ride (gonna ride) that train, I mean, that south-bound passenger train.
I'm gonna buy me a ticket just as long as my arm.
I'm gonna ride that train, babe, all night long.
Gonna ride (gonna ride) that train, I mean, that south-bound passenger train.
I'm gonna choo-choo right through (all off) for Birmingham.

REPEAT CHORUS

Got a letter from my baby (that I left) in Birmingham.
She's the sweetest little girlie (that I left) in Birmingham.
She's so sweet; she's so neat,
That when she walks she'll tickle you off o' your feet.
She is some fine ma (red-hot) in Birmingham.

CHORUS

That southern jack, that great big southern jack.
First thing you do is put your shovel in the coal.
Stick your head out the window; see the drivers roll.
That southern jack, that great big southern jack,
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, that southern jack.⁴

CHORUS

Mm-mm-mm-mm.⁵

- - -
1. The name of the group as reported by The Online Discographical Project, which is indexed at Honking Duck. Sometimes their recordings were released under aliases.

2. They recorded it twice. Both versions, with different matrix numbers, appear on the Document Records album "Bryant's Jubilee Quartet / Quintette: Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order" (DOCD-5437), but I didn't notice any difference in the lyrics or arrangement. I suppose they recorded it a second time only to take advantage of better recording equipment that became available.

3,5. These lines imitate a distant train whistle.

4. This line, and the last line of the last chorus, are greatly slowed down.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: South Bound Passenger Train
From: GUEST,David Sparer
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 05:35 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: South Bound Passenger Train
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Apr 15 - 05:45 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8-CdQZITtM

Doc doing it on YouTube (from a live performance). Lyrics included on the screen.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: South Bound Passenger Train
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 07:00 PM

Just found this interesting thread. If it matters any more, I believe the unintelligible part is a somewhat elided "red-a-hot".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: South Bound Passenger Train
From: Leadfingers
Date: 10 Apr 18 - 06:11 AM

When I was in Aden with the R A F I 'did' a half hour of all 78's on A F B A - (Cobweb Corner) Had a good version of this by the Stoneman Family

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: South Bound Passenger Train
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 22 - 11:41 PM

"South Bound Passenger Train" was featured in the 1931 Laurel and Hardy movie Pardon Us.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: South Bound Passenger Train
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Jan 22 - 01:02 AM

Take a listen to this YouTube recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=483kdDzmHJ0

The video description makes it sound like it's from the movie soundtrack, but it sounds too good to be from a 1931 movie.

Here's the full movie:

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

And here's a recording of "Southbound Train" by the Birmingham Quartet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibq2eCfTxHM&t=6s