Lyrics, melody and harmony lines printed in Sing Out v. 17 #1, 1967, transcribed from singing of Doc Watson by Ethel Raim on Folkways
FA2366. Following note signed by D.K.Wilgus, Ralph Rinzler and Eugene Earle: This song entered the Watson Family repertoire from the Okeh recording of the wite country performer, Frank Hutchinson. Although Doc was certainly aware of the recording, he learned the song through the singing of his brother Arnold and feels he was influenced by Arnold's style. In the process, Hutchinson's nine-stanza text was shortened and the knife-guitar accompaniment restyled. The late Frank Hutchinson was a West Virginia artist and must have learned his repertoire and style from Negroes in railroad or mine camps. The song as a whole may be found on a blues recording unknown to me, but it is found in no printed collection I have seen. If the song is a "white blues", it was put together as others from Negro sources. White performers were recomposing songs from Negro sources before Jimmie Rogers rocketed to fame using some of the same material. "Train That Carried My Girl From Town" is an eight-bar blues of the "Alabama Bound" group.
Does anyone have any further information on Frank Hutchinson or Arnold Watson ?
Smithsonian Folkways CD The Watson Family has the lyrics and attributes the song to Rosa Lee Watson with help on the lyrics from Doc. An extensive note by Jeff Place gives some history of the Watson family and Ralph Rinzler's role in recording the songs. Other recordings on cassettes are by Solstice Assembly on "Under the Drawbridge", "Women on the Edge" by Malaika.
The song is on my list of what I want played at my funeral.