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Song

Written by
Composition date
1906
Language
English
ISWC
T-900.836.213-8 ISWC
Comments
"Freight Train" was written by Elizabeth Cotten when she was 11 or 12. After marrying and having a child, Cotten gave up music for many years. In 1945 she was hired as a domestic by the Seeger family and eventually started playing again. Peggy Seeger learnt "Freight Train" from her and took the song to the UK, where she played the song in folk clubs. Here it was heard by Chas McDevitt and Bill Varley, who copyrighted the song and recorded it with vocalist Nancy Whiskey.

First three verses -
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
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Added by Bastien

Versions

written by English

Title Performer Release date Info
 REC November 1957 First recording on July 10, 1957
 REL 1957 First release
  1958
  1959
  November 1962
  December 1962 Medley
Freight Train Peter, Paul & Mary October 1963 Unverified
  1963
  1963
  December 11, 1964
  1964
  1964
  1965
  1966
  1967
  1971
  1979 Medley
  November 1982 Live
Released more than 10 years after its recording
  1982
Freight Train Tupelo Chain Sex 1983 Unverified
  1984 Medley
  October 1, 1993
  1994
  December 1998
  September 4, 2001
  October 20, 2001
  January 2002
  2002
  May 20, 2003
  2003 Live
  2005
  April 2008
  June 2008
  July 15, 2008
  February 22, 2011
  2011
  November 5, 2013
  2013 Live
  October 2014
  July 16, 2015
Freight Train Yellow Bird 2015 Unverified
  June 10, 2016
  January 31, 2017
Freight Train Susanna [NO] February 9, 2018 Unverified
  July 6, 2018
  March 13, 2020
  November 20, 2020
  June 19, 2021
  July 15, 2022
  October 7, 2022
  March 10, 2023
Freight Train Muireann Bradley December 8, 2023 Unverified
Freight Train (unknown) Unverified

written by instrumental

written by Swedish

Title Performer Release date Info
July 1964 First recording on May 21, 1964
First release

written by Finnish

Title Performer Release date Info
1957 First recording on October 4, 1957
First release

{Rakevet ha-masa} written by Hebrew

Title Performer Release date Info
{Rakevet ha-masa} (Matti Caspi, Riki Gal, Benny Amdurski, Dori Ben Zeev, Daphna Armoni) 1982 First release

written by unknown author(s) Norwegian

written by Swedish