This Train

[ Roud 6702 ; Ballad Index LoF255 ; trad. arr. A. Johnson]

Sandy Denny sang This Train in 1967 on the Saga album Alex Campbell and his Friends. This recording was also included in 1978 on The Original Sandy Denny, in 2004 on the 5CD Fledg’ling anthology A Boxful of Treasures, and in 2005 on Where the Time Goes. Sandy sings acoustic rock’n’roll with the accompaniment of the Johnny Silvo Folk Group, with at least two acoustic guitars (one sounding like a banjo), double bass and Alex Campbell and Johnny Silvo singing chorus. This performance is very much in the American folk tradition and not very similar to Sandy’s quieter style.

Sandy Denny recorded This Train live with the Johnny Silvo Four in June 1967 for the BBC World Service programme “The Johnny Silvo Four” broadcast in early January 1968. This recording was published in 2007 on the 3CD+DVD set Live at the BBC.

Linde Nijland sang This Train in 2000 on her CD Linde Nijland Sings Sandy Denny.

Lyrics

Sandy Denny sings This Train

This train don’t carry no gamblers, this train,
This train don’t carry no gamblers, this train,
This train don’t carry no gamblers
No crap shooters, no midnight ramblers,
This train don’t carry no gamblers, this train.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
This train is bound for glory, this train,
This train is bound for glory, this train,
This train is bound for glory,
Don’t carry nothin’ but the righteous an’ the holy
This train is bound for glory, this train.

This train goes down the track, this train,
This train goes down the track, this train,
This train goes down the track,
And once you’re on board you don’t come back
This train goes down the track, this train

This train don’t pay no transportation, this train,
This train don’t pay no transportation, this train,
This train don’t pay no transportation
No Jim Crow and no discrimination,
This train don’t pay no transportation, this train.