Freight Train
Elizabeth Cotten, The New Lost City Ramblers, Libba Cotten
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Freight train, freight train, run so fast Freight train, freight train, run so fast Please don't tell what train I'm on They won't know what route I'm going When I'm dead and in my grave No more good times here I crave Place the stones at my head and feet And tell them all I've gone to sleep When I die, oh bury me deep Down at the end of old Chestnut Street So I can hear old Number Nine As she comes rolling by When I die, oh bury me deep Down at the end of old Chestnut Street Place the stones at my head and feet And tell them all I've gone to sleep Freight train, freight train, run so fast Freight train, freight train, run so fast Please don't tell what train I'm on They won't know what route I'm going
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Written by: Elizabeth Cotten
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
4 facts about this song
Elizabeth Cotten" Facts"Freight Train" was written by Elizabeth Cotten, an American blues and folk musician.
- The song was written when she was only 11 years old.
- She created the fingerstyle guitar technique known as "Cotten Picking" to accommodate her left-handed playing.
- Elizabeth Cotten won a Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording in 1985 at the age of 90.
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Nancy Whiskey" FactsNancy Whiskey, a renowned Scottish folk singer, is known for her version of "Freight Train".
- She added a verse to the song to make it relevant for the British audience.
- Born in Glasgow as Anne Alexandra Young Wilson, she adopted the stage name Nancy Whiskey inspired by a traditional Scottish folk song.
- Nancy's version of "Freight Train" was a significant hit, reaching No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in 1957.
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Peggy Seeger" FactsAmerican folk singer Peggy Seeger also popularized "Freight Train" in her recordings.
- Peggy is the half-sister of iconic folk musician Pete Seeger and is considered a stalwart in the American and British folk music scenes.
- Although not the original writer, Seeger’s version of "Freight Train" helped make it a folk standard, gaining popularity in the UK and the US.
- In the early 1950s, Seeger met and collaborated with Elizabeth Cotten extensively. The recording of "Freight Train" was one of the successful outcomes of this collaboration.
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Freight Train" Song Facts"Freight Train" is a folk song that mimics the sound of a locomotive.
- The song was copyrighted more than 40 years after it was written due to its growing popularity.
- Its theme is largely about death and fond remembrance of one's hometown.
- Versions of the song have been covered by several artists in differing genres over the years, from folk to rock, emphasizing its universal appeal and enduring popularity.
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"Freight Train Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2536210/Elizabeth+Cotten/Freight+Train>.
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