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Freight Train (folk song)

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598: 585: 626: 32: 203:, who took this song with her to England, where it became popular in folk music circles. Pseudonymous British songwriters "Paul James" and "Fred Williams" from a British skiffle band subsequently misappropriated it as their own composition and registered a claim of copyright in the song, adding a murderer-on-the-run storyline. Under that credit, it was recorded by British skiffle singer 270:
and his band performed various classic skiffle songs. The concluding number was "Freight Train", though it was abruptly stopped just a few seconds into the song (this recording is available on an unauthorized release called
480: 215:. Under the advocacy of the influential Seeger family, the copyright was eventually restored to Cotten. Nevertheless, it remains mis-credited in many sources. 211:
and re-recorded the song with her doing the vocal; the result was a chart hit. McDevitt's version influenced many young skiffle groups of the day, including
192:, she composed "Freight Train" as a teenager (sometime between 1906 and 1912), inspired by the sound of the trains rolling in on the tracks near her home in 262:
on lead vocal. No recorded version is known to survive. However, in January 1991, while doing recorded rehearsals in Sussex, England for the initial
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Many artists have since recorded their own version of the song. Among the most prominent are:
699: 335: 454: 689: 547: 8: 611: 361: 433: 481:"Elizabeth Cotten : Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes" 275:). In 2009 Quarrymen member Rod Davis recorded the song and released it on his album 299: 229: 173: 140: 533: 640: 636: 633: 267: 193: 683: 341: 314: 295: 291: 263: 232:
Ramblin' Jack Elliott recorded this song in 1957. It is included on the CD,
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period of the 1950s and 1960s. By Cotten's own account in the 1985
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performed it live from 1957 till at least 1959, if not later, with
156: 255: 181: 19:"Freight Train (song)" redirects here. For the Nitro song, see 548:"Rusty Draper | Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio" 136: 185: 176:
in the early 20th century, and popularized during the
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It was performed in the 1957 film 199:Cotten was a one-time nanny for folk singer 589:"Freight Train" by Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten 16:Early 20th-century song by Elizabeth Cotten 671: 657: 282: 241: 116:Learn how and when to remove this message 235:The Lost Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbour 1957 221:Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar 218:The Elizabeth Cotten recording for the 682: 246:According to author Mark Lewisohn, in 172:" is an American folk song written by 620: 54:adding citations to reliable sources 25: 13: 14: 726: 570: 534:"CHUM Hit Parade - June 10, 1957" 624: 596: 583: 30: 248:The Complete Beatles Chronicles 41:needs additional citations for 602:Freight Train Elizabeth Cotton 540: 526: 508: 473: 447: 418: 400: 374: 65:"Freight Train" folk song 1: 710:Esther & Abi Ofarim songs 488:Media.smithsonianfolkways.org 367: 643:. You can help Knowledge by 430:Biography.yourdictionary.com 7: 355: 10: 731: 705:Peter, Paul and Mary songs 619: 21:Freight Train (Nitro song) 18: 595: 582: 577: 250:(p. 362), the young 154: 146: 135: 130: 351:Jim And Jesse McReynolds 348:, french version, 1965) 294:Skiffle Group featuring 273:Paul McCartney Limelight 639:–related article is a 305:The Tommy Steele Story 283:Notable cover versions 242:Beatles cover versions 336:Esther and Abi Ofarim 178:American folk revival 150:between 1906 and 1912 426:""Elisabeth Cotten"" 50:improve this article 362:List of train songs 277:Under The Influence 715:1950s single stubs 695:Songs about trains 224:album was made by 652: 651: 608: 607: 455:""Chas McDevitt"" 312:of the 2023 film 166: 165: 126: 125: 118: 100: 722: 673: 666: 659: 628: 621: 600: 599: 587: 586: 575: 574: 564: 563: 561: 560: 544: 538: 537: 530: 524: 523: 512: 506: 505: 503: 502: 496: 490:. Archived from 485: 477: 471: 470: 468: 467: 451: 445: 444: 442: 441: 432:. Archived from 422: 416: 415: 404: 398: 397: 395: 393: 384:. Archived from 378: 300:UK Singles Chart 230:Washington, D.C. 174:Elizabeth Cotten 162:Elizabeth Cotten 159: 141:Elizabeth Cotten 128: 127: 121: 114: 110: 107: 101: 99: 58: 34: 26: 730: 729: 725: 724: 723: 721: 720: 719: 680: 679: 678: 677: 617: 597: 584: 578:External videos 573: 568: 567: 558: 556: 546: 545: 541: 532: 531: 527: 522:. 23 June 2023. 514: 513: 509: 500: 498: 494: 483: 479: 478: 474: 465: 463: 453: 452: 448: 439: 437: 424: 423: 419: 412:SecondHandSongs 406: 405: 401: 391: 389: 388:on May 24, 2013 382:"About Skiffle" 380: 379: 375: 370: 358: 285: 244: 155: 131:"Freight Train" 122: 111: 105: 102: 59: 57: 47: 35: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 728: 718: 717: 712: 707: 702: 697: 692: 676: 675: 668: 661: 653: 650: 649: 629: 615: 614: 606: 605: 593: 592: 580: 579: 572: 571:External links 569: 566: 565: 539: 525: 520:Focus Features 507: 472: 446: 417: 399: 372: 371: 369: 366: 365: 364: 357: 354: 353: 352: 349: 339: 333: 323: 298:(No. 5 on the 284: 281: 268:Paul McCartney 243: 240: 194:North Carolina 164: 163: 160: 152: 151: 148: 144: 143: 133: 132: 124: 123: 38: 36: 29: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 727: 716: 713: 711: 708: 706: 703: 701: 698: 696: 693: 691: 688: 687: 685: 674: 669: 667: 662: 660: 655: 654: 648: 646: 642: 638: 635: 630: 627: 623: 622: 618: 613: 612:Eclectica.org 610: 609: 603: 594: 590: 581: 576: 555: 554: 549: 543: 535: 529: 521: 517: 511: 497:on 2012-02-16 493: 489: 482: 476: 462: 461: 456: 450: 436:on 2018-08-26 435: 431: 427: 421: 413: 409: 403: 387: 383: 377: 373: 363: 360: 359: 350: 347: 343: 342:Esther Ofarim 340: 337: 334: 331: 327: 324: 321: 317: 316: 315:Asteroid City 311: 307: 306: 301: 297: 296:Nancy Whiskey 293: 292:Chas McDevitt 290: 289: 288: 280: 278: 274: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 239: 237: 236: 231: 227: 223: 222: 216: 214: 213:The Quarrymen 210: 209:Nancy Whiskey 206: 205:Chas McDevitt 202: 197: 195: 191: 187: 183: 179: 175: 171: 170:Freight Train 161: 158: 153: 149: 145: 142: 138: 134: 129: 120: 117: 109: 98: 95: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: –  66: 62: 61:Find sources: 55: 51: 45: 44: 39:This article 37: 33: 28: 27: 22: 700:1956 singles 645:expanding it 631: 616: 557:. 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Index

Freight Train (Nitro song)

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"Freight Train" folk song
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Song
Elizabeth Cotten
Composer(s)
Elizabeth Cotten
American folk revival
skiffle
BBC
North Carolina
Peggy Seeger
Chas McDevitt
Nancy Whiskey
The Quarrymen
Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar
Mike Seeger
Washington, D.C.
The Lost Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbour 1957
Quarrymen
Beatles

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