WHEN THE TRAIN COMES ALONG

Some comes walkin' and some comes lame
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along
Some comes walkin' in my Jesus' name
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along

Chorus:
Oh, when the train comes along
Oh, when the train comes along
Oh lord, I'll meet you at the station
When the train comes along

Sins of years are washed away
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along
Darkest hour is changed to day
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along

Chorus

Doubts and fears are borne along
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along
Sorrow changes into song
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along

Chorus

Ease and wealth become as dross
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along
All my boast is in the cross
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along

Chorus

Selfishness is lost in love
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along
All my treasures are above
Gonna meet you at the station when the train comes along

Source: transcription of reissue on Uncle Dave Macon 'The Country Music Hall of Fame Series' MCA MCAD-10546. Original recording released on Champion 16805, Champion 45105 and Decca 5373. Recorded in Richmond, Indiana, on 14 August 1934. Uncle Dave Macon, vocal and banjo, was accompanied by Kirk McGee on banjo and Sam McGee on guitar. One or both of the McGees sang in the choruses.

Uncle Dave Macon's rendition of this song is the only evidence of its existence in white tradition. In his notes to the above cited CD on MCA, Charlie Seemann of the Country Music Foundation stated that this was a McGee Brothers (Sam and Kirk) composition. The McGees may have been responsible for some of the lines in this variant, but the concept and refrain were well-known in the black tradition. In his 'Long Steel Rail', Norm Cohen quoted from John W. Work's 'American Negro Songs and Spirituals' [New York, Bonanza Books, 1940, p94] the usual version that consisted of one chorus and two verses:

I may be blind an' cannot see
But I'll meet you at the station when the train comes along

I may be lame an' cannot walk
But I'll meet you at the station when the train comes along

When the train comes along, when the train comes along
I'll meet you at the station when the train comes along

Norm Cohen commented that he had been unable to find anything in print relating to the origins of variants of the song, and no traces before 1925. The first recording was made in September 1926 by Odette and Ethel [Odette Jackson and Ethel Grainger] who accompanied Rev J. C. Burnette on many of his recordings. The black Texan songster, Henry Thomas, recorded the song in October 1927. Thomas' repertoire shared several pieces with Uncle Dave's - 'Arkansas', 'The Fox and the Hounds', 'Jonah in the Wilderness', 'Shanty Blues' and 'When the Train Comes Along'. However, as Tony Russell pointed out in his 'Blacks, Whites and Blues' [Studio Vista, 1970, p47], the songs concerned were 'so old that Thomas need not have learned them from, nor even heard, Macon's interpretations'. In this instance, Uncle Dave recorded after Thomas. It is, however, an interesting example of common stock in the black and white traditions.

For the purposes of comparison, I post Henry Thomas' version:

WHEN THE TRAIN COMES ALONG

When the train come along, when the train come along
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

I may be blind, I cannot see
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

The train come along, the train come along
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

I marched on the shore, I cannot see
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

When the train come along, the train come along
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

I'm going to the Son and thank him in my heart
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

When the train come along, the train come along
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

I may be blind, I cannot see
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

The train come along, the train come along
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

When my mother wanted me, I prayed for religion
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

Well, the train come along, well, the train come along
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

I may be blind, I cannot see
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

The train come along, the train come along
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

I'm praying in my heart, I'm crying out my eyes
Jesus died for my sins

I will meet you at the station, I will meet you in the morn
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

When the train come along, the train come along
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

I may be blind, I cannot see
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

The train come along, the train come along
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

I'm praying in my heart, I'm praying for my soul
I will meet you at the station when the train come along

The train come along, the train come along
I'll meet you at the station when the train come along

Source: transcription from reissue on Henry Thomas 'Texas Worried Blues: Complete Recorded Works 1927-1929' Yazoo CD 1080/1. Original recording issued as Vocalion 1140. Recorded in Chicago on 7 October 1927.

PS.