One astute reader mentioned the song ‘Wreck of the Old 97’ so I must talk about it at some length. This is perhaps the finest song train song ever written. Why is it great? A) it’s about trains b) it’s about Virginia c) it’s about freight transportation d) it’s about transportation history e) it’s about supply chains. Okay, it’s not really about supply chains but I digress.The Wreck of the Old 97 is a real deal historical event. Back in 1903, a mail train derailed off a 75 -foot trestle near Danville, Virginia killing 9 people. The reports from the scene were grisly, such as the person scalded to death by the steam. The train in question was a very recent model, the Old 97 (a name derived from the year 1897 I presume), which was known for its high speed. The train was late and was trying to make up time when it derailed. There was a centennial four years ago in Danville and it would have been really cool to go to.
The song based on the event is folk song legend. It was the first song in the United States to sell 1 million copies. Many artists have covered it including the legendary version by Johnny Cash from his Live at San Quentin album. On a side note, if anyone can think of a better opening to any musical set than Big River – Wreck of the Old 97 – I Still Miss Someone – I Walk the Line I would like to know because that four song lineup is almost incomprehensible to believe.
The Johnny Cash version of the song is great because the song actually sounds like a freight train. Now that is the height of thematic excellence. Listening to Live at San Quentin is the closest thing many of us Americans get to riding a train on a regular basis.
The song has been so successful that there is even a band named for it - the Old 97s. From their song Northern Line:
I'm dreaming on a night train
It's only been a light rain, and a darkened sky and a starry night
I'm humming on a cold train
I'm singing about the wreck of the Old 97
3 comments:
Hey Marc, just wanted to let you know that I've been reading your blog regularly and with interest. Also, when I was learning to play the guitar, the instructor taught us how to play "Wreck of the Old 97". Pretty sweet.
if you want a really bad version of the wreck of the old 97, my "band" at sewanee covered it and i have it on cd. even better, if you ask me after i've had a couple of beers, i'll play it for you, live and in person on my guitar. and i agree, it is quite possibly one of the greatest songs ever!
- shawn
you know, I always wanted to form a band called Johnny Clash. Given the name, we would only play the Clash and Johnny Cash songs. I wanted to start out each set by playing fast punk versions of: Big River, I Still Miss Someone, Wreck of the Old '97, and I Walk the Line. The same four songs that began the San Quentin live LP.
The real life counterparts of this concept were moving in the same direction, before they both died within months of each other. Before hand, Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer got together and recorded a duet of Bob Marley's Redemption Song. Johnny Clash lives!
Post a Comment