Trivia - Best Songs with Rail Content

[Spartacus]

Doobie Brothers, Long Train Runnin'

S-Express, Theme from S-Express: extra points for have a cutaway drawing of a
56 on the single!

 

[Glenmutchkin]

Waterloo Sunset.

 

[kevconnor]

From Johnny Cash either

Hey Porter

or folsom prison blues

& From the Dubliners either:
McAlpines Fusiliers

or Building up and Tearing England Down

And for special mention, not a song but a poem from Tony Walsh Called Silver Ribbons about the Navvies.

 

[gazthomas]

“Last train to Transcentral” by the KLF:

https://g.co/kgs/XYPwec

“All aboard, all aboard, woo hoo!”

 

[Glenmutchkin]

Last Train to Glasgow Central by Billy Connolly.

The video is out there but I have failed abysmally to post a working link.

 

[EM2]

Time Flies by When I'm the Driver of a Train from the iconic Childrens TV programme Chigley

I much prefer Half Man Half Biscuit's version:

 

[roversfan2001]

My man a fellow courteeners song!

The cash machine by platform 11 at Piccadilly is also mentioned in smiths disco, as are the ladies of the night!

Ah so it is, there's quite a few rail references in their songs Makes an already very good band even better.

 

[Spartacus]

OMD have a bit of history, mostly with Locomotion (not THAT one! lol), this one seems to be as much about cranking your way across Europe as anything! lol Also possibly the album English Electric and a few other tracks with possible railway links.

 

[pdq]

Midnight train to Georgia

The Gospel Train

 

[Hornet]

Rudy by Supertramp

 

[Dr_Paul]

John Fahey's music, mostly solo acoustic guitar, often drew upon railway imagery and themes, such as 'View East from the B&O Railroad Viaduct and the Riggs Road Intersection', based on a childhood hometown memory (listen to it here). He devoted an entire album -- Railroad -- to numbers influenced by US railways; here's the tracklist:

Frisco Leaving Birmingham
Oneonta
Summer Cat By My Door
Steve Talbot On The Keddie Wye
Afternoon Espee Through Salem (listen to this one here)
Enigmas And Perplexities Of The Norfolk And Western
Charlies Becker's Meditation
Medley: Imitation Train Whistles/Po' Boy
Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad
Delta Dog Through The Book Of Revelation

 

[Jonny]

“Last train to Transcentral” by the KLF:

https://g.co/kgs/XYPwec

“All aboard, all aboard, woo hoo!”

Here's one with better quality:

 

[Trackman]

Time Flies by When I'm the Driver of a Train from the iconic Childrens TV programme Chigley

this wins!!

 

[fergusjbend]

Route Class 66

 

[martinsh]

Homeward Bound - Paul Simon (famously written on Widnes station)

Banks of the Ponchartrain - Nanci Griffith
City to City - Gerry Rafferty
Every Time I Hear That Train - Poco
Last Train To Clarksville - The Monkees
Last Train To St Tropez - David Gates (ignoring the fact that there has NEVER been a railway to St Tropez !)
Like A Sad Song - John Denver
Madam George - Van Morrison
Orange Blossom Special - traditional
Rain Steam & Speed - The Men they Couldn't Hang
Rock Island Line - Lonny Donegan (and many others)
Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk
Wabash Cannonball - Johnny Cash (and many others)

Will that do for now ?

 

[bnm]

Intercity Baby - The Kensingtons

 

[MotCO]

Barnehurst to Blackfriars by Jackie and the Commuters

This sung, based on Daytrip to Bangor, was about the 8:14 train which was always being cancelled.

 

[quarella]

Any track by "Sleeper."

 

[Master29]

Third Rail by Squeeze

You`re forgetting "up the junction" by said group.

 

[Intercity 225]

Here's one with better quality:

I was going to post this too, great record.

This is also brilliant and train related:

 

[Marlow]

Warren Zevon- Nighttime In The Switching Yard

Proto-disco with a proper funky groove...

And for anyone into a bit of loopy Techno/House try Express by Kink which is made up of lots of railroad samples...

Good thread!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Wreck Of The Old 97 by Johnny Cash?

 

[Condor7]

For prog lovers of epic songs Big Big Train ‘East Coast Racer’

 

[Mikey C]

Divine Comedy - National Express
(OK not quite trains)

Plus this instrumental (Europe by Train) which at least starts with some trainy noises!

 

[TheSeeker]

Mystery Train - Elvis. Also an amazing film by Jim Jarmusch.
I often dream of trains - Robyn Hitchcock.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Tren Bach yr Sgwarnogod (Little Train of the Hares) by Bob Delyn:

 

[bearhugger]

Breakthru by Queen

 

[TheSeeker]

Train to Skaville - The Ethiopians

 

[Stampy]

Breakthru by Queen

I can remember them filming this on the Nene Valley Railway...


I’ll add this one to the list.....

 

[EM2]

Any track by "Sleeper."

And anything by iLiKETRAiNS