Impeccable scholarship and lavish illustration distinguish this landmark study of American railroad folksong. Norm Cohen provides a sweeping discussion of the human aspects of railroad history, railroad folklore, and the evolution of the American folksong. The heart of the book is a detailed analysis of eighty-five songs, from "John Henry" and "The Wabash Cannonball" to "Hell-Bound Train" and "Casey Jones", with their music, sources, history, variations, and discographies. A substantial new introduction updates this edition.

Preface

ix

Acknowledgments

xiii

Music Editor's Preface

xvii

Introduction to the Second Edition

xix

``The Railway Cars Are Coming'': A Brief History of the Railroads in the United States

3

(18)

America's Music: Written and Recorded

21

(18)

``Railroad March'' to ``City of New Orleans'': A Sesquicentennial of Railroad Songs

39

(19)

Heroes and Badmen

58

(111)

``John Henry''

61

(29)

``Jim Fisk''

90

(7)

``Jesse James''

97

(20)

``Cole Younger''

117

(5)

``Railroad Bill''

122

(10)

``Casey Jones''

132

(26)

``Ben Dewberry's Final Run''

158

(5)

``J. C. Holmes Blues''

163

(3)

``The Crime of the D'Autremont Brothers''

166

(3)

The Fatal Run

169

(106)

``The Fatal Run''

181

(2)

``The Wreck on the C & O''/``Engine 143''

183

(14)

``The Wreck of the Old 97''

197

(30)

``The New Market Wreck''

227

(5)

``Billy Richardson's Last Ride''

232

(4)

``The Wreck of the C & O Number Five''

236

(4)

``The Wreck of the 1256''

240

(3)

``The Freight Wreck at Altoona''/``The Wreck of the 1262''

243

(4)

``The Wreck of the Royal Palm''

247

(3)

``The Wreck of the Virginian Number Three''

250

(4)

``The Wreck of the Number Four''

254

(3)

``The True and Trembling Brakeman''

257

(4)

``The Little Red Caboose behind the Train (I)''

261

(3)

``The Wreck of the C & O Sportsman''

264

(3)

``The Wreck of Number Nine''

267

(8)

Asleep at the Switch

275

(21)

``Asleep at the Switch''

276

(6)

``Bill Mason''

282

(6)

``Papa's Billy Goat''/``Rosenthal's Goat''

288

(8)

He's Coming to Us Dead

296

(47)

``He's Coming to Us Dead''

300

(4)

``In the Baggage Coach Ahead''

304

(12)

``Going for a Pardon''/``The Eastbound Train''

316

(5)

``Please, Mr. Conductor''/``The Lightning Express''

321

(5)

``The Red and Green Signal Lights''/``The Engineer's Child''

326

(6)

``Jim Blake's Message''

332

(6)

``There's a Little Box of Pine on the 7:29''

338

(3)

``The Evening Train''

341

(2)

In a Boxcar around the World

343

(57)

``Because He Was Only a Tramp''

347

(4)

``The Poor Tramp Has to Live''

351

(4)

``Waiting for a Train''/``Wild and Reckless Hobo''

355

(12)

``The Dying Hobo''

367

(6)

``The Wabash Cannonball''

373

(9)

``The Little Red Caboose behind the Train (II)''

382

(3)

``Milwaukee Blues''

385

(5)

``The Railroad Boomer''

390

(3)

``Hobo Bill's Last Ride''

393

(4)

``In a Boxcar around the World''

397

(3)

I've Got the Railroad Blues

400

(59)

``KC Railroad''/``KC Moan''

406

(7)

``Cannonball Blues''/``Whitehouse Blues''

413

(13)

``The Train That Carried My Girl from Town''

426

(5)

``That Lonesome Train Took My Baby Away''

431

(4)

``Special Agent''/``Railroad Police Blues''

435

(2)

``How Long, How Long Blues''

437

(4)

``The Southern Blues''

441

(3)

``I Hate That Train Called the M & O''

444

(2)

``Freight Train Blues (I)''

446

(4)

``Railroad Blues (I)''

450

(2)

``Train Whistle Blues''

452

(4)

``Railroad Blues (II)''

456

(3)

A Railroader for Me

459

(71)

``A Railroader for Me''

461

(5)

``New River Train''

466

(6)

``The Rock Island Line''

472

(6)

``The Midnight Special''

478

(7)

``On the Dummy Line''

485

(6)

``The Longest Train''/``In the Pines''

491

(12)

``Reuben's Train''/``Train 45''/``900 Miles''

503

(16)

``Blow Yo' Whistle, Freight Train''

519

(2)

``Freight Train''

521

(3)

``Freight Train Blues (II)''

524

(4)

``Railroading on the Great Divide''

528

(2)

Working on the Railroad

530

(66)

``I've Been Working on the Railroad''

537

(6)

``Jerry, Go Ile That Car''

543

(4)

``Paddy Works on the Railway''

547

(6)

``Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill''

553

(7)

``Way Out in Idaho''

560

(7)

``The Night Express''

567

(4)

``Nine Pound Hammer''

571

(12)

``The Little Red Caboose behind the Train (III)''

583

(8)

``The Virginian Strike of '23''

591

(5)

Life's Railway to Heaven

596

(49)

``I'm Going Home to Die No More''/``The Railway Spiritualized''

605

(6)

``Life's Railway to Heaven''

611

(8)

``The Gospel Train Is Coming''/``Get on Board''

619

(6)

``Little Black Train''

625

(4)

``This Train''/``Same Train''

629

(4)

``When the Train Comes Along''

633

(3)

``The Gospel Cannonball''

636

(2)

``The Hell-Bound Train''

638

(7)

Appendix I: Worksongs and Instrumentals

645

(7)

Appendix II: Recommended Albums of Railroad Songs

652

(7)

Bibliography

659

(32)

Index

691

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Long Steel Rail

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