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Train Keeps Rolling

from Ballads and the Blues by T.C. Elliott

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about

Sometime while in school, grade school I think, I read a story about a moth that saved a train from crossing a washed out bridge. In my searching for this story I see a debunked story about a moth saving Queen Victoria on a train in England. I have no idea who wrote the story, or even if my memory can be trusted, but it gave me an idea for a song.
On 28 February 2022 I participated in what is called a “feast” by some fellow songwriters for the on-line songwriting challenge February Album Writing Month (fawm.org) in which you write as many songs as you can in a four hour timespan (give or take.) The very first song I wrote for this feast was “Train Keeps Rolling.” This recording is a bit more fully fleshed out than the original demo which only featured acoustic guitar and vocals. Here I’ve also included bass, drums and an acoustic lead line.
The idea for the ending of this song comes from listening to Pete Seeger’s version of “John Henry.” I had arranged a version I could play shortly after studying the ballad earlier in February.

lyrics

Train’s been a rolling all through the night
Train’ll keep rolling till the morning light
That train keeps rolling
That train keeps rolling on
Roll, roll train, rolling the whole night long

The fireman pushed the water and the coal
Gonna make that train roll, roll, roll
That train keeps rolling
That train keeps rolling on
Roll, roll train, rolling the whole night long

One Sunday morning it began to rain
It stormed on that steam powered passenger train
That train keeps rolling
That train keeps rolling on
Roll, roll train, rolling the whole day long

In the afternoon the engineer could see
The bridge washed out, the chasm was deep
That train keeps rolling
That train keeps rolling on
Roll, roll train, rolling the whole day long

Some people say they can hear that train
You gotta listen close in the storming rain
That train keeps rolling
That train keeps rolling on
Roll, roll train, rolling the whole night long

credits

from Ballads and the Blues, released May 6, 2022
Written by T.C. Elliott

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T.C. Elliott Columbia, Missouri

If Neil Young and The Holy Modal Rounders had a litter of baby songwriters then T.C. Elliott would be the runt of the litter.

T.C. has written over 1100 songs and at least one of them doesn't suck.

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