Lyrics Language: English Song writer/composer(s): Roy Acuff, Traditional
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Roy AcuffFreight Train Blues Lyrics:
I was born in Dixie 1 in a boomer’s 2 shack,
Just a little shanty by a railroad track,
The humming of the drivers 3 was my lullaby,
And a freight train whistle taught me how to cry.
I’ve got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
I've got ’em in the bottom of my ramblin’ shoes,
And when the whistle blows, I’ve gotta go.
Oh, lordy, I guess I’m never gonna lose the freight train blues.
Now my pappy was a fireman and my mamma dear,
She was the only daughter of an engineer,
My sweetie loved a brakeman 4 and it ain’t no joke,
It’s a shame the way she kept the good man broke.
(Yeah!)
I’ve got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
I've got ’em in the bottom of my ramblin’ shoes,
And when the whistle blows, I’ve gotta go.
Oh, lordy, I guess I’m never gonna lose the freight train blues.
A steamboat whistle never stirred my soul.
Aero-planes and autos always leave me cold.
The only thing that makes me wanna navigate,
Is the wildcat ripple on a southbound freight.
I’ve got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
I've got ’em in the bottom of my rambling shoes,
And when the whistle blows, I’ve gotta go.
Oh, lordy, I guess I’m never gonna lose the freight train blues.
Now I know I'm old enough to quit my running around.
I tried a hundred times to stop and settle down.
But every time I find a place I want to stay,
A freight train hollers and I'm on my way.
I’ve got the freight train blues, lordy, lordy, lordy,
I've got ’em in the bottom of my ramblin’ shoes,
And when the whistle blows, I’ve gotta go.
Oh, lordy, I guess I’m never gonna lose the freight train blues.
Roy Acuff Freight Train Blues Music Video Music Video Title: "Freight Train Blues" (1947) by Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys View More Roy Acuff Music Videos
The lyrics on the most recent version are sanctioned by the composer, or owner of the rights to the lyrics, however, there may be lyrics that are more complete on the prior version(s) that have been submitted by a contributor to mp3lyrics.org
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Roy Acuff Freight Train Blues Lyrics Information:
IF YOU DON'T SEE THE GREEN FOOTNOTE REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE TEXT ABOVE
TRY GOING TO THE PREVIOUS VERSION BY CLICKING ON THE LINK "SEE OTHER
VERSIONS" IN THE ORANGE BOX ABOVE. ALSO SOMETIMES THE LYRICS ON PREVIOUS
VERSIONS ARE MORE ACCURATE THAN THE ONES DISPLAYED BY GRACENOTE AS THE
CURRENT VERSION.
FREIGHT TRAIN BLUES
Written by: Traditional/A. P. Carter
Performed by: Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys 56
First released: 7
Single: 1938
Album: 1958 8
1 Dixie is a nickname for the Southern United States. The word Dixie first refered to
privately issued currency from banks in Louisiana. They were ten-dollar notes labeled "Dix"
on the reverse side, which was French for ten. The notes were known as "Dixies" by English-
speaking southerners in the area around New Orleans, which came to be known as
"Dixieland." Eventually, usage of the term broadened to refer to most of the Southern
states. The states of Dixie include: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
2 A Boomer was a drifter who went from one railroad job to another, staying only a short
time on each job or each road. Sometimes Boomers were were in big demand because of
their wide experience, however, sometimes they were blackballed because their moved
around so much. Their common practice was to follow the rushes, that is, working seasonal
jobs when and where they were most needed.
3 A Driver was the yardmaster or general manager of the railroad yard.
4 The brakeman's job was to ride in the caboose and when the engineer activated the brake
at the front of the train, the broakeman was to pull the brake in the caboose to slow the
back of the train.
5 From 1934 to 1935, Acuff's backup group was named The Tennessee Crackerjacks ,
1935 to 1938, they were called The Crazy Tenneseeans. In 1938 their name was changed
again to The Smoky Mountain Boys. Depending upon the time records were pressed, the
labels reflect the change of name.Personnel performing on this recording:
* Roy Acuff (guitar)
* Jesse Easterly (guitar)
* Red Jones (bass)
* Beecher Kirby aka: Bashful Brother Oswald (Dobro guitar 9 )
6 : Covered by:
Dick Curless
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Bob Kingston
Sam & Kirk McGee
Eddie Miller
Billie & De De Pierce
Webb Pierce
Doc Watson
The Weavers
Hank Williams, Sr.
et al.
7 Released on: *
SINGLE(s):
(1)Roy Acuff:
A-side: "Wabash Cannonball"
B-side: "Freight Train Blues"
(a) Vocalion, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, #04466, US-1938.
(b) Columbia, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, #37008, US-1946.
(c) Columbia, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, Reissue, #37598, US-1947.
(d) Columbia, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, Reissue, #20034, US-1947.
(e) Columbia, 10-Inch, Vinyl, 78rpm Single, Reissue, #20197, US-1948.
(2)Roy Acuff:
A-side: "Freight Train Blues"
B-side: "All the Word Is Lonely Now"
(a) Hickory, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, #1291, US-1965.
(b) Elektra, 7-Inch, Vinyl, 45rpm Single, #46515, US-1979.
* The album(s) and record(s) listed here may have different versions of the song than the
one that was transcribed. Also, this list is not intended to be the complete discography on
which this song appears.
8 There may be earlier issues that contain this song, but I haven't been able to find
written documentation of them.
9 Dobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular
design of resonator guitar, often called a Hawiian Guitar. The name, Dobro, was coined by
the Dopyera brothers when they formed the Dobro Manufacturing Company in 1928. In time
Dobro came to mean any resonator guitar, or specifically one with a single inverted
resonator.
10 Transcribed from the track on this album.
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