Train, Train (1979) – Blackfoot

Down-and-dirty rocker music is not usually my thing, but dang, Blackfoot can play wicked, boot-stomping rock ’n’ roll – which is right up my alley, especially in today’s featured song, Train, Train. It has a serious train-like rhythm (no surprise there), a drawling blues harp, a shredding guitar riff, and some raw, deep Southern vocals.

According to the article below: ‘When Blackfoot lead singer Rickey Medlocke needed a harp player to open the song “Train, Train,” he called in his granpappy Shorty Medlocke. It was a canny choice – not only can Shorty perform a mean suck and blow on the old harmonica, he also wrote the song‘.

Train, Train is some really intense American Southern rock in the vain of some of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers music. In fact Rickey Medlocke played with an early incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd and re-joined permanently in the mid-90s. Effectively he remains active in both bands: Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Train, Train was released on Blackfoot’s third album called Strikes. This song and Highway Song were released as singles, reaching No.38 and No. 26 on the US Billboard respectively. They remain the band’s best-known and most successful songs.

Blackfoot originated from Jacksonville, Florida and formed in 1970. The group disbanded in the early 1980s but has reunited a few times since then, the second time including all the original members except Medlocke, who had rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1996.

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From Wikipedia:
The band changed their name to Blackfoot to represent the American Indian heritage of its members:Jakson Spires (from Oklahoma) had a Cheyenne/French father and a Cherokee mother; Rickey Medlocke’s father was Lakota Sioux and Blackfoot Indian, and his mother’s side is Creek/Cherokee, Scottish and Irish; Greg “Two Wolf” Walker is part Eastern (Muskogee) Creek, a tribe recognized by the state of Florida, but not federally. 

[Intro]
Oh, here it come

[Verse 1]
Well, train, train
Take me on out of this town
Train, train
Lord, take me on out of this town
Well, that woman I’m in love with
Lord, she’s Memphis bound

[Verse 2]
Well, leavin’ here
I’m just a raggedy hobo
Lord, I’m leaving here
I’m just a raggedy hobo
Well, that woman I’m in love with
Lord, she’s got to go

[Verse 3]
Well, goodbye, pretty mama
Get yourself a money man
Goodbye, pretty mama
Lord, get yourself a money man
You take that midnight train to Memphis
Lord, leave if you can
Oh, take that midnight train to Memphis
Lord, leave if you can
Oh, take that train, baby

References:
1. Song Of The Week: “Train, Train” by Blackfoot – 1 2 3 o’ clock 4 o’ clock Rock
2. Blackfoot – Wikipedia