Railroads have often been the subject of popular songs, most notably Arlo Guthrie’s The City of New Orleans and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Midnight Special. While those particular hits were written about actual railroads, many other songs were given metaphorical train titles.
Bob Dylan, who won a Noble Prize for his writing, once compared doomsday to a slow coming train. Here are ten other songs that have names that employ that outdated romantic mode of transportation as a metaphor.
Love Train of the O Jays
Recording in the anti-war era of the post-Vietnam Seventies, the R&B hitmakers sang about a train car full of love.
The Cat Stevens Peace Train
War was in the headlines when this folk rock hit took over the radio, offering a vision of a world without violence.
Elvis Costello’s Ghost Train
Maureen and Stan are a couple that nobody ever notices, like intangible spirits. The tune has that typical Costello pun, like “He got a black eye from a waitress, she don’t see no stars.”
Slow train at sunrise from The
Matt Johnson used the concept to emphasize a long night he endured, and it ended up being one of the highlights on his second album Infected.
Ghost Train through the Bongos
This title track comes from an album the alt-rockers recorded in 1986, only to be put on hold for only about thirty years.
Woody Guthrie’s Little Black Train
Whether we like it or not, the popular legend says here, this metaphor for death comes to all of us at some point.
Rolling Stones Silver Train
Here we have the railway vehicle representing a prostitute the singer was involved with during the recording of Sticky Fingers, but the song didn’t appear until the Goatshead Soup album.
Ozzy Osborn’s Crazy Train
When the former Black Sabbath frontman confesses that he is straying from the main theme, most fans had already assumed that idea years before.
Johnny Burnette’s Lonely Train
This country classic is told from the perspective of an obviously lonely man hoping a director will bring him someone to love.
Bob Welch Mystery Train
“Ebony Eyes” and “Sentimental Lady” are the greatest hits from the French Kiss album, but this song describes a woman who is hard to understand.