Robbin Thompson's cover version
Locomotive number 9 heading down to New Orleans
Spitting fire, smoke black as coal, the hottest that I've ever seen
Engineer, Mr. Engineer, won't you please get me there on time
I can't stay away, no not another day from the pretty little woman of mine
It's been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
I fear that I'm never getting home
Long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
I'll be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Hey there Mr. Conductor, can you tell me what time we're due
I hate to seem impatient but you'd be excited too
If you have pretty little woman like I got waiting for you back at home
When I reach her loving arms I'll never again shall roam
It's been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
I fear that I'm never getting home
Long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
I'll be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Alright
It's been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
I fear that I'm never getting home
Long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
I'll be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Seems kinda hard to believe that I'm going, going back home at last
They say a lot of things have changed, yeah well I know a lot of time has passed
Yeah but 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
It's been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
I'll be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes, when the morning comes
(There's a rain on the way)
When the morning comes
The above lyrics are for Robbin Thompson's cover version of Bruce Springsteen's THE TRAIN SONG. It was released on his 2003 album One Step Ahead Of The Blues.
Robbin Thompson, a Florida native, was the lead singer and songwriter with several Florida-based bands including The Hanging Five (1963-1964), The Five Gents (1964-1965), The Tasmanians (1966-1967), and Transcontinental Mercy Flight (1968). In early 1969 he relocated from Florida to Richmond where he formed Mercy Flight. The Richmond-based band had regularly opened for Steel Mill. In mid-August 1970, while Steel Mill was touring Virginia, Bruce Springsteen met with Robbin Thompson and offered him a position in Steel Mill. Thompson, who was attending school at the time, accepted the offer. He quit school, resigned from Mercy Flight on 23 Aug 1970, and relocated north to New Jersey the following week where he joined Steel Mill as a lead vocalist. While Springsteen was Steel Mill's main songwriter, the band also performed some Thompson songs, including TRAIN RIDE.
When Steel Mill disbanded in January 1972 and Springsteen went solo, Thompson returned to Virginia where he pursued a solo career of his own. He released a number of albums, most of which on his own label Out There Records. He recorded two Springsteen-written Steel Mill songs, HE'S GUILTY (THE JUDGE SONG), released on his 1985 album Better Late Than Never, and THE TRAIN SONG, released on his 2003 album One Step Ahead of the Blues. In 1990 he co-founded In Your Ear, a music composition and production company and recording studio in Richmond, VA.
Since the breakup of Steel Mill, Thompson and Springsteen have occasionally guested at each other's concerts.
Thompson passed away on 10 Oct 2015 at the age after a long battle with cancer.
List of available versions of THE TRAIN SONG on this website:
THE TRAIN SONG [Studio version]