| Portion of title |
Railroad in American folksong |
| Series |
Music in American life
Music in American life. ^A223005
|
| Contents |
Preface -- Music editor's preface -- Introduction to the second edition -- "The railway cars are coming": a brief history of the railroads in the United States -- America's music: written and recorded -- "Railroad march" to "City of New Orleans": a sesquicentennial of railroad songs -- Heroes and badmen. "John Henry" ; "Jim Fisk" ; "Jesse James" ; "Cole Younger" ; "Railroad Bill" ; "Casey Jones" ; "Ben Dewberry's final run" ; "J. C. Holmes blues" ; "The crime of the D'Autremont brothers" -- The fatal run. "The fatal rung" ; "The wreck of the C & O"/"Engine 143" ; "The wreck of the Old 97" ; "The new market wreck" ; "Billy Richardson's last ride" ; "The wreck of the C & O number five" ; "The wreck of the 1256" ; "The freight wreck at Altoona"/"The wreck of the 1262" ; "The wreck of the Royal Palm" ; "The wreck of the Virginian number three" ; "The wreck of the number four" ; "The true and trembling brakeman" ; "The little red caboose behind the train (I)" ; "The wreck of the C & O Sportsman" ; "The wreck of number nine" -- Asleep at the switch. "Asleep at the switch" ; "Bill Mason" ; "Papa's billy goat"/"Rosenthal's goat" -- He's coming to us dead. "He's coming to us dead" ; "In the baggage coach ahead" ; "Going for a pardon"/"The eastbound train" ; "Please, Mr. Conductor"/"The Lightning Express" ; "The red and green signal lights"/"The engineer's child" ; "Jim Blake's message" ; "There's a little box of pine on the 7:29" ; "The evening train" -- In a boxcar around the world. "Because he was only a tramp" ; "The poor tramp has to live" ; "Waiting for a train"/"Wild and reckless hobo" ; "The dying hobo" ; "The Wabash Cannonball" ; "The little red caboose behind the train (II)" ; "Milwaukee blues" ; "The railroad boomer" ; "Hobo Bill's last ride" ; "In a boxcar around the world" -- I've got the railroad blues. "KC railroad"/"KC moan" ; "Cannonball blues"/"Whitehouse blues" ; "The train that carried my girl from town" ; "That lonesome train took my baby away" ; "Special agent"/"Railroad police blues" ; "How long, how long blues" ; "The southern blues" ; "I hate that train called the M & O" ; "Freight train blues (I)" ; "Railroad blues (I)" ; "Train whistle blues" ; "Railroad blues (II)" -- A railroader for me. "A railroader for me" ; "New river train" ; "The rock island line" ; "The midnight special" ; "On the dummy line" ; "The longest train"/"In the pines" ; "Reuben's train"/"Train 45"/"900 miles" ; "Blow yo' whistle, freight train" ; "Freight train" ; "Freight train blues (II)" ; "Railroading on the great divide" -- Working on the railroad. "I've been working on the railroad" ; "Jerry, go ile that car" ; "Paddy works on the railway" ; "Drill, ye tarriers, drill" ; "Way out in Idaho" ; "The night express" ; "Nine pound hammer" ; "The little red caboose behind the train (III)" ; "The Virginian strike of '23" -- Life's railway to heaven. "I'm going home to die no more"/"The railway spiritualized" ; "Life's railway to heaven" ; "The gospel train is coming"/"Get on board" ; "Little black train" ; "This train"/"Same train" ; "When the train comes along" ; "The Gospel Cannonball" ; "The hell-bound train" -- Appendix II: Worksongs and instrumentals ; Appendix II: Recommended albums of railroad songs. |
| Abstract |
Impeccable scholarship and lavish illustration mark this landmark study of American railroad folksong. The author 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. |
| General note | Originally published in 1981. |
| General note | Includes melodies with chord symbols. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 659-689), discography (pages 652-658), and index. |
| Awards note | Winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, the Chicago Folklore Prize, and the first Ben Botkin Prize given by the American Folklore Society. |
| ISBN | 0252068815 (pbk. : acid-free paper) |
