Studio version
Locomotive number 9 travelling down to New Orleans
Spitting fire, smoke black as coal, the hottest that I've ever seen
Oh Engineer, Mr. Engineer, won't you please get me home on time
'Cause I can't stay away, no not another day from the pretty little woman of mine
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I fear that I'd never get home
Long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Hey there Mr. Conductor, can you tell me what time we're due
Well I hate to seem impatient but you'd be excited too
If you got a pretty little woman like I got just waiting for you back at home
And once I reach her loving arms I'll never again shall roam
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I fear that I'd never get home
I been a long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Alright
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I fear that I'd never get home
Long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Seems kinda hard to believe that I'm going, going home at last
They say that things have changed, well I guess a lot of time has passed
And just a few more miles and a little more time before you know it I'll be there
And I'll be waltzing arm in arm with my darling electric chair
Seems kinda hard to believe I'm going home at last
They say that things have changed, well I guess a lot of time has passed
Just a few more miles and a little more time before you know it I'll be there
And I'll be waltzing arm in arm with my darling electric chair
And I'll be waltzing arm in arm with my darling electric chair
It's been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I feel that I'd never get home
I've been a long time dreaming of what I'd do when I'd get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
THE TRAIN SONG is a song written by Bruce Springsteen. He performed it live with Steel Mill in 1970. See the "Live History" section below for more details. He also recorded the song in studio. See the "Composition and Recording" section below for more details. The above lyrics are for the studio version of THE TRAIN SONG.
Decades later, THE TRAIN SONG was recorded by Jersey Shore band Steel Mill Retro who released it on All Man The Guns For America, their 2008 album of Bruce Springsteen songs that were first performed by the original Steel Mill. See Steel Mill Retro's cover version for more details.
Steel Mill recorded three songs at Pacific Recording Studio in San Mateo, CA, 22 Feb 1970: HE'S GUILTY (THE JUDGE SONG), GOIN' BACK TO GEORGIA, and THE TRAIN SONG. After brief warm-up rehearsals, which weren't recorded, the band recorded each song in one take. These were the only three songs rehearsed and the only three songs recorded. Promoter Bill Graham, who at the time had recently started his Fillmore Records label offered Steel Mill a contract, which the band rejected due to its poor terms and conditions.
According to the Chapter And Verse album credits, the band line-up on HE'S GUILTY (THE JUDGE SONG) is Bruce Springsteen on vocal and guitar, Danny Federici on organ, piano, and backing vocals, Vini Lopez on drums, and Vinnie Roslin on bass and backing vocals. THE TRAIN SONG, which was recorded at the same session, logically features the same line-up.
This studio version of THE TRAIN SONG can be found on several bootlegs, including The Unsurpassed Springsteen Volume 1 (Yellow Dog Records) [track 06].
THE TRAIN SONG is known to have been performed at least once in Bruce Springsteen's early years (pre-October 1972). Very little is known about shows from this early period, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates.
At least 3 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's THE TRAIN SONG.
Some of the above information about the song's studio recording and live history is taken from Brucebase.
List of available versions of THE TRAIN SONG on this website:
THE TRAIN SONG [Studio version]
