Here’s another wonderful musical idea of my darling husband’s, dear friends – songs about trains!
There are themes in popular music that appeal to me. Life is a journey, and unless you’re unusually fit you cannot walk everywhere. So the human race developed means of transport. And the greatest form of transport of all to my mind is the train. I’ve always loved trains and I’ve always loved train songs. I’ve just done my 70s list and even there two of the tracks, including my No1 by Gladys Knight, carried the word “train” in their title. So here are five more train pieces for you.
My generation grew up with Uncle Mac’s Children’s Favourites and this was one of the regular pieces aired there.
Around the same time there was skiffle which so many British musicians cut their teeth on. The King of Skiffle was the wonderful Lonnie Donegan and this was perhaps his signature song.
Skiffle was inspired by all sorts of roots American music. Here’s one of Louisiana’s blues legends (well in certain circles!) with for me one of the great train songs.
Alongside skiffle there was the longer lasting rock n roll. Elvis was laying down tracks (that’s recordings not railway lines!) at Sam Phillips’s Sun studios from 1954. One of them was this piece. Forgive me, Elvis fans, if I play the original version- I think it’s that little bit better.
And finally here’s two fellows nattering on a train. They’ve got more in common than they realise!
See y’all soon. The Old Git
Roberta Franklin 