Harper’s Magazine blogger Kevin Baker put together what he feels are the 23 best American songs about trains ever written. In his blog post, Baker explores train songs by Johnny Cash to “I’ve been working on the railroad.” Below is his list of songs.
Click here to go to Baker’s blog post to read why he thinks these are the best train songs out there and to listen to those songs.
- Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
- City of New Orleans by Steve Goodman
- The Ballad of John Henry, sung by Harry Belafonte
- Chattanooga Choo Choo by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon
- Mystery Train by Junior Parker
- The Midnight Special, sung by Leadbelly and Harry Belafonte
- The Wreck of the Old 97, sung by Johnny Cash
- This Train is Bound for Glory, sung by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
- On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer
- Dixie Flyer by Randy Newman
- 500 Miles, sung by Hedy West, Rosanne Cash and Joan Baez respectively
- Downbound Train by Bruce Springsteen
- Rock Island Line, sung by Alan Lomax, Johnny Cash and Lonnie Donegan respectively
- Paddy on the Railway by The Wolfe Tones
- Freight Train, Freight Train by Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, also sung by Peter, Paul & Mary
- The Ballad of Casey Jones aka The Brave Engineer by Johnny Cash
- Casey Jones by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter
- Wabash Cannonball by J.A. Roff
- Long Train Running by The Doobie Brothers
- I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, singer unknown
- Last Train to Clarksville by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Midnight Train to Georgia by Jim Weatherly and sung by Empress Gladys & The Pips
- Bringin’ in the Georgia Mail by Fred Rose and sung by Sam Bush Band
Bonus song: Downtown Train, sung by Tom Waits and Rod Stewart respectively
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