Train on the Island

[acousticphd]

OT lovers and players,

I'm listening for the first time to the song (as opposed to the tune itself) "Train on the Island", on the Starch and Iron cd by Rayna Gellert and Susie Goerhing. Does anyone know a full set of lyrics, or additional lyrics, for this song?

They do 6 verses on this song; it seems like there are possibilities for many more to exist. In particular, they sing a verse with a line I can't make out:

Train on the island, ? ? ? ? ?
Go and tell my true love as far as I can go,
Go and tell my true love as far as I can go

Anyone know the supposed background/history for this song?

[Paul Kotapish]

There are many versions of this song with lots of interchangeable verses. Here are some.

Train on the island
Thought I heard her blow
Go and tell my true love
I'm sick and I can't go (repeat last two lines)

Train on the Island
Thought I heard her squeel
Go and tell my true love
I can't hold the wheel (repeat last two lines)

Train on the island
Heading for the west
Me and my gal we fell out
might be for the best (repeat last two lines)

Train on the island
Thought I heard her squeel
Go and tell my true love
how happy I do feel (repeat last two lines)

Bruce Molsky recorded a lovely version with cross-tuned fiddle where he uses the line "I can't hold the wheel" as a refrain at the end of every verse.

PK

[acousticphd]

Thanks!

After listening to it some more times, I think I figured out the mystery line; the verses sung in this version are:

Train on the island, listen to her squeal
Go and tell my true love how happy I do feel (2X)

Train on the island, headed for the west
Go and tell my true love, the girl I love the best (2X)

Steam from the whistle, smoke from the stack
Go and catch that 5:18, I'm never comin' back (2X)

Train on the island, thought I heard her squeal
Go and tell my true love I can't hold the wheel (2X)

Train on the island, moaning mighty low (?)
Go and tell my true love as far as I can go (2X)

Train on the island, headed for the north
Go and tell my true love she don't know what she's worth (2X)

This version is in key of A, in what could be an A cross tuning. I've heard of, but not actually heard, the Bruce Molsky version.

[David Horovitz]

Another version, which is the only one I've heard, is from a recent CD by the Webster sisters singing harmony with Scott Nygaard on guitar. The CD is called Ten Thousand Miles. I think Scott takes about 7 guitar solos on this tune - all very tastefully done. The singing is phenomenal too.

Train on the island
Thought I heard her blow
Run and tell my true love
I'm sick and I can't go
(Refrain echoed by guitar playing melody)
I can't hold the wheel

Train on the island
Headed for the west
Me and my gal we fell out
It might be for the best
(Refrain echoed by guitar playing melody)
I can't hold the wheel

Train on the island
Headed for the west
Run and tell my true love
The one I love the best
(Refrain echoed by guitar playing melody)
I can't hold the wheel

Train on the island
Thought I heard her squeal
Run and tell my true love
I can't hold the wheel
(Refrain echoed by guitar playing melody)
I can't hold the wheel

[John Millring]

Ha!

Timely thread.

I've just started playing around with this as it's done on the new Fiddler's Green CD - Tim O'Brien.

Thanks.

( I knew the lyrics had to me more than: Trainonth-Islan... hear theblah blah blah...bluevazoovaroofoos...la la la la la.)