Not strictly about trains, but it's prominent in the lyrics of "Casey Jones" by The Greatful Dead.
I mean, he was certainly driving that train, high on cocaine
But seriously though, he gotta watch his speed.
She caught the Katy - Blues Brothers or Taj Mahal*
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Midnight Special - Creedence Clearwater Revival or Leadbelly*
Love in Vain - Robert Johnson*
Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
Barricades and Brickwalls - Kacey Chambers
Train to Nowhere - Savoy Brown
Hear My Train A Comin - Jimi Hendrix*
*There have been loads of songs about trains or that mention trains in American blues history.. I'm barely scratching the surface, here. In the early days of the 20th century the blues artists used to travel around by hopping on freight trains to get from town to town, so they featured in many, many songs. There would have been even more songs written to the rhythm of a rolling carriage, too, that don't even mention trains at all.
I haven't seen mention of Ozzy's maybe biggest hit, Crazy Train
Dethklok - Murder train a comin
Not autistic, probably, but trains are pretty cool. I've hopped trains before and that was fun, but I also don't recommend it.
Edit: just remembered, Townes Van Zandt - Desperados waiting for a train
The Monkees - Last Train to Clarkesville
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia
Edit: also https://hellomusictheory.com/learn/songs-about-trains/
Bonus question: if you’re autistic, what are your opinions on trains? I’m personally ambivalent about trains, but they also feel like they’re my culture, because of how many of my fellow autistic nerds like trains.
Not autistic, but an urbanist and transportation engineer: trains are fucking awesome! Second only to bicycles in terms of efficiency of land-based transportation, and with such high capacity that induced demand actually becomes a positive effect for them (as opposed to a very negative effect when talking about automobiles).
So many Johnny Cash songs:
Special Streamline by Bukka White.
Blue Railroad Train by Doc Watson
Choo Choo Train by the Box Tops
Downbound Train by Chuck Berry
Take the A Train by Esquivel
There are SO many songs about trains.
L & N Special by Christine Kittrell
Not sure it’s it’s been mentioned, but the corny and old school answer is Chattanooga Choo Choo
Til it was also the first gold selling record (1 million+)
Can't believe that no one has mentioned this one yet...
Driver 8 by R.E.M. is a great one. Will try to think of more 👍
EDIT:
EDIT 2
Didn't see this here yet (though maybe I missed it)
Train Song - Vashti Bunyan
The fact that he's driving that train comes up a lot.
How about Runaway Train by Soul Asylum?
City of New Orleans - written by Steve Goodman, cover by The Highwaymen - the City of New Orleans is a passenger line still operated by Amtrak between Chicago and New Orleans
The Gallopin' Goose - C. W. McCall - not exactly a train but certainly a part of railroad history, the "Galloping Geese" were a product of the declining demand for passenger rail service:
Originally running steam locomotives on narrow gauge railways, the perpetually struggling RGS developed the first of the "geese" as a way to keep its contract to run mail into towns in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. There was not enough passenger or cargo income to justify continuing the expensive steam train service at then-current levels, but it was believed that a downsized railway would return to profitability.
[...]
Motors were not only less expensive to operate, but were also significantly lighter, thus reducing impact on the rails and roadbeds.
[...]
The first was built in 1931 from the body of a Buick "Master Six" four-door sedan.
The Legend of John Henry's Hammer - Johnny Cash (the Folsom Prison recording) - also not about a train specifically, but about the legendary railroad steel driver John Henry, I think it fits
Orange Blossom Special - written by Ervin T. Rose, cover by Johnny Cash - the Orange Blossom Special was a passenger train running between New York and Miami
*Bonus:
Dumb Ways to Die - produced by Metro Trains Melbourne as part of a public awareness campaign for railway safety in 2012
Including some cool history along with the song suggestions? I like you, you're very cool
Electric Callboy - teckno train
Crazy train
Train wreck
The one that goes “come on ride the train”
The one about the midnight train to Georgia
I think there’s one about working on a night train
Don’t stop believing has a train
Off the top of my head, the only real "train" focused song i know is Murdertrain a Comin' by Dethklok.
Quad City DJs - C’mon N’ Ride It
No Use for a Name - Don’t Miss the Train
Tom Waits (original), Rod Stewart/Patty Smyth/Bob Seger - Downtown Train
Journey - Don’t Stop Belivin’
John Fogerty - Train of Fools
Guns ‘N Roses “Night Train” (though technically not about a locomotive but getting blitzed on rotgut)
I’d never contemplated how many songs reference trains.
For some reason I quickly found a few in my library:
(I wouldn't mind getting pinged when you finished your playlist.)
Not sure how well it counts for being about trains, but the first one that leapt to mind for me was Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath
It's at least got a lot of train allegory.
How's this one been missed?
Passage to Bangkok - Rush
Bob Dylan “It Takes A Lot To laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry” is about riding a mail train and is a great song :)
Trains by porcupine tree !!!!
I've got 16 songs about / relating to trains, but no idea how to export playlists from Poweramp:
And then one that isn't really about trains, but very good:
Honorable mentions (heard but don't own):
I don't see it in the comments so hopefully not a repost. King gizzard and the lizard wizard - road train It's so good.
How did nobody recommend I'm a Train by Albert Hammond??
I know one only it's called Runaway Train from Soul Asylum.
But it's kind of depressing, I like depressing songs.
Idk if it has something to do, but it mentions train.
The Northern Boys - Sexy Train https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VXKhJfRQ7k
Zdob și Zdub & Advahov Brothers - Trenulețul (The Train) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGNT5Uh-WKw
The Longest Johns - On the Railroad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA5PvH8D4wQ&t=8
Electric Callboy - TEKKNO TRAIN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFlhlZbeKgE
Just a small town girl, living in a loooonely world, She took the midnight train, going an-yyyy-where
Here's a great one from Slovenia: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RHtQ4ZF2rGQ
I really like this song.
My son is super into trains (not diagnosed yet, but we expect he gots the tism), we also have a playlist. A few I haven't seen mentioned:
Peter Paul and Mary - Freight Train
Edit: forgot about this masterpiece (NSFW unless headphones)
List of train songs - Wikipedia
For all your train song needs 🚂 🚃 🚆 🚄 🚅 🚉 🛤️
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers takes place on a train... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hx4gdlfamo&t=15
Train Train by the Blue Hearts, if no one already mentioned it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSkLe-EOq5U&t=8
Danville Girl - Pete Seeger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AMTd2B0bIc
I don't know if it will fit in your playlist but I love this song.
my top three train songs, in no particular order:
Movin' On - Johnny Cash
Echelon's Song - Red Army Choir This one is very train-y and the time signature accelerates like a steam engine accelerating
Midnight Special - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I'd even count Folsom Prison Blues. The train is a pretty big element of the song.
how about a whole album about trains/public transport?
What about the song Trains by Porcupine Tree?
Does Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” count? Opens with a verse about taking trains!
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