This song you may remember from the Yardbirds and Aerosmith but this version rocks roots style. No matter what version you know…this song is built for a rock band of any kind.
It was written by Tiny Bradshaw, Howard Kay, and Lois Mann, this song was originally performed by Tiny Bradshaw’s Big Band in 1951.
This version features guitar lines in what many historians consider to be the first recorded example of intentionally distorted guitar in rock music, although blues guitarists, such as Willie Johnson and Pat Hare, had recorded with the same effect years earlier.
The Trio’s guitarist, Paul Burlison, recounted that he noticed the sound after accidentally dropping his amplifier, which dislodged a power tube. Later, “Whenever I wanted to get that sound, I’d just reach back and loosen that tube”
Johnny Burnette recorded this rock version in 1956, and The Yardbirds popularized the song with their rendition in 1965. Aerosmith covered it in 1974, often playing the song as their encore in their early years. Tyler had seen the Yardbirds do it in the sixties and as he said it knocked him out.
Train Kept A Rollin’
I caught a train
I met a dame
She was a hepster
And a real gone dame
She was pretty
From New York City
And we trucked on down that old fair lane
With a heave and a ho
Well i just couldn’t let her go
Get along, creepy little woman
Get along, well be on your way
Get along, creepy little woman
Get along, well be on your way
With a heave and a ho
Well i just couldn’t let her go
Well, the train kept a-rollin all night long
The train kept a-rollin all night long
The train kept me movin’ all night long
The train kept a-rollin all night long
With a heave and a ho
Well i just couldn’t let her go
We made a stop
In Alberquerque
She must of thought
That I was a real gone jerk
We got off the train
At El Paso
Our lovin was so good, jack
I couldn’t let her go
Get along
Well I just couldn’t let her go
Get along, creepy little woman
Get along, well be on your way
Get along, creepy little woman
Get along, well be on your way
With a heave and a ho
Well I just couldn’t let her go
The train kept a-rollin all night long
The train kept a-rollin all night long
The train kept her movin’ all night long
The train kept a-rollin all night long
With a heave and a ho
Well I just couldn’t let her go-oh-oh
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Well most people believe Grady Martin played the guitar on this song because if you listen to it only one strings is distorted. If it would’ve been a tube the whole guitar would’ve been distorted. The distortion was created by raising the pickup screw under one of the strings so it was closer to the string.
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Oh, boy! All Sundays need to start with this! Excellent!
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Isn’t though! It gets you going
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That’s some great early rock & roll, man – loving it and grooving along.
Let that choo choo train keep a-rolling’ – all day and all of the night, all day and all of the night! :=)
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I don’t think there is a bad version of this…
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It’s hard to mess up that one, I guess. I also love the renditions by the Yardbirds and Aerosmith – great choice, Max!
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Oh yes I like all of those …
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one of the goodies of that era…and Rocky’s dad too I believe.
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I meant to say that Dave! Yes he is Rocky’s dad.
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I’ve never heard a version of this song that I didn’t like. I am partial to this version, though. I appreciate you mentioning Willie Johnson…the Blues greats so often get overlooked.
–Pam
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I should have posted a version of them. I didn’t post the other two versions because most would have went to them and not this one…but the Willie Johnson version I should have.
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This is my first time listening to the Johnny Burnette version, which is great.
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It’s driving like the others just in a different way.
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Max, check out Aero’s version of Train Kept A Rollin’ at the end of ‘Live Bootleg’. It’s such an ass kicker version…
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Oh I know that one! That is the first time I heard the song probably…it’s great. Led Zeppelin did it live once in while also. This song rocks…
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Killer cut Max. I was sending you positive ways to play this. This is the music that hooked CB into the music world not just rock n roll. Music moves us in different ways and this is cut does it in many.
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It’s one song that I’ve never heard a bad cover of. I love this rootsy thing though that Johnny has going on.
I can see why it hooked you. It gets rid of the BS and takes you straight to the point…no fluff just great rhythm.
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“Rhythm” I guess that’s the ticket for me. So many good tunes in this genre. Kinda set the table for so many after.
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I have never heard this song before, in any version!
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It’s a great driving song…
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He sings it with passion and I like the pacing of this one. Aerosmith’s version goes too fast.
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This rockabilly stuff Lisa…I never really dived into it before….it’s like naked music with the extra things you don’t need removed.
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I’ve never heard this version… I’m only familiar with the Aerosmith version, so this is a real treat.
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I also like Motorhead’s version from the debut. Good times!
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