This song has been featured in many commercials and movies but I’ve never get tired of it. What a positive vibe it has to it. The O’Jays had six top ten hits, twenty-nine songs in the Billboard 100, and one #1 which was Love Train in 1973.
To honor their contributions to Philadelphia Soul, the BET network awarded the O’Jays a lifetime achievement award, which was presented by the Soul Train creator Don Cornelius.
According to Eddie Levert of the O’Jays, when they started working on this song, it didn’t have lyrics. Kenny Gamble wrote them on the spot in about five minutes. “By the time we started laying down the vocals, we knew we had a hit,”… “Love Train felt like destiny. It had such perfect, timeless lyrics that it was almost as if they’d come from God, and we had to deliver them to the people.”
From Songfacts
It was 1973, the height of the Philadelphia soul genre was dawning, and “Love Train” came along with just the right sound at just the right time. It was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, producers for the O’Jays. The team of Gamble & Huff would go on to write and produce over 170 gold and platinum records – and they also wrote “Back Stabbers” and “For The Love Of Money,” two more key songs in the O’Jays’ career.
The lyrics make a call for unity and world peace, mentioning England, Russia, China, Egypt, Israel, and Africa. “Love Train was the first of our big message songs,” O’Jays singer Walter Williams told The Guardian. 1972 was explosive – Vietnam was rumbling on, the rich were getting richer – so it was the perfect time to sing about social issues. The song mentioned places that were having human rights problems, but in a positive, hopeful way: “The first stop we make will be England… tell all the folks in Russia and China too.”
The O’Jays made a music video for this song, mainly for airing in Europe, where many shows played these clips. In the video, the O’Jays take a group of children on a train to Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
This song was a big part of the satirical 2010 “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” put on basically by the Comedy Central network. The “rally” included songs with a train theme, so they got “Love Train,” Ozzy’s “Crazy Train,” as well as “Peace Train.” A merry time was presumably had by all.
The song has been used in numerous TV and film soundtracks, as well as in popular commercials for Coors Light.
Love Train
People all over the world (everybody)
Join hands (join)
Start a love train, love train
People all over the world (all the world, now)
Join hands (love ride)
Start a love train (love ride), love train
The next stop that we make will be soon
Tell all the folks in Russia, and China, too
Don’t you know that it’s time to get on board
And let this train keep on riding, riding on through
Well, well
People all over the world (you don’t need no money)
Join hands (come on)
Start a love train, love train (don’t need no ticket, come on)
People all over the world (Join in, ride this train)
Join in (Ride this train, y’all)
Start a love train (Come on, train), love train
All of you brothers over in Africa
Tell all the folks in Egypt, and Israel, too
Please don’t miss this train at the station
‘Cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you
Well
People all over the world (Sisters and brothers)
Join hands (join, come on)
Start a love train (ride this train, y’all), love train (Come on)
People all over the world (Don’t need no tickets)
Join hands (come on, ride)
Start a love train, love train
Ride, let it ride
Let it ride
Let it ride
People, ain’t no war
People all over the world (on this train)
Join in (ride the train)
Start a love train, love train (ride the train, y’all)
People all over the world (come on)
Join hands (you can ride or stand, yeah)
Start a love train, love train (makin’ love)
People all over the world (’round the world, y’all)
Join hands (come on)
Start a love train, love train
People all over the world
Join hands
Start a love train, love train
People all over the world
Join hands
Start a love train, love train
People all over the world
Join hands
Start a love train, love train
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/nov/01/the-ojays-how-we-made-love-train-interview
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Love Train. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will no longer be stopping at ‘England’ in verse one. “
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lol…
I wanted to ask you a question about a song I had yesterday… “Knock On Wood”… What does that translate to in Britain?
The reason I ask…I found this and I was wondering if it was true.
“This song confused British listeners a bit, as the phrase “knock on wood” in not in their vernacular. In England, the expression is “touch wood.””
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‘Touch wood’ is the more commonly used, often accompanied by a couple of taps on something wooden, or if none available on the side of the head (as we are all blockheads) in case we jinx something.
I personally have known the song since Bowie did it as a single in 1975 and Amii Stewart did a version in the 80s which charted.
A lot of American colloquialisms did travel here through films (movies) remember.
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Thank you wdeod for answering that.
When I saw that I thought of our conversation about Taxman and the shillings and the meanings.
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Agree a song that even being played to death in commercial after commercial- can’t ruin.
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Great song, and so happy I heard it first by the O’Jays and not on some cheesy ad! e
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Amen to that. Even after hearing it over and over…I still like it.
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Great song from the eastern end of the Triangle of Great Soul/R&B (Detroit, Memphis, Philadelphia)
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Yes…it is kinda worn out but I haven’t got tired of it.
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It’s mellow with a positive message and I love these guys’ voices.
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I do also…I dont get tired of it
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