Waiting for a Train (Jimmie Rodgers song)
Waiting For a Train is a song by singer Jimmie Rodgers, released by the Victor Talking Machine Company as the flipside of "Blue Yodel No. 4" in February 1929.
The song originated in the nineteenth century in England. It later appeared in several song books, with variations throughout the years. Rodgers, who was familiar with the tune, reworked it with producer Ralph Peer. It became one of Rodgers' most popular songs, and was later covered by several artists.
Origins
The origins of the song were traced by D. K. Wilgus, a music scholar and professor at UCLA. Wilgus found a mid-nineteenth century broadside ballad printed by Catnach press in London entitled "Standing on the Platform", with the subtitle "Waiting for the train". The song recounted the story of a man who met a woman at a railway station, who later falsely accused him of assaulting her. Modified versions of the ballad appeared in diverse songbooks of the era: Billy Newcomb's San Francisco Minstrels' Songster, Billy Cottons Ethiopian Songster, a sheet music published by S. Brainard Sons and Coming Through the Rye. In the 1880s, a version called "Wild and Reckless Hobo" was published. In July 1909, the request of a reader for a complete version of a poem was published on Railroad Man's Magazine. The man only knew the first two verses:The request was not replied, but the magazine printed the poem as "10,000 Miles From Home" in 1914. Sociologists Guy Benton Johnson and Howard W. Odum collected verses of the song during their field research of black culture in the Southern United States in late 1910s. The composition was also traditionally known as "Danville Girl". The earliest known recording of the song was made by George Reneau as "Reckless Hobo" on February 24, 1925, and released by Aeolian-Vocalion Records. In 1929, Prince Albert Hunt released it as "Waltz of the Roses" on Okeh Records.
Recording
started singing his own version of the song around early 1925. He later received a suggestion to record it in 1928. Rodgers could only remember some of the words to the song. Since he was only able to play two chords on the guitar, he could not use the original tune. He and producer Ralph Peer re-wrote the lyrics to the song to fit Rodgers' guitar skills. The composition was at the time in the public domain, but with the changes in the lyrics and music, Peer decided he would be able to copyright it. It told the story of a man, now turned a hobo, as he struggled to return to his home. He is found by a brakeman while riding through Texas, and thrown off of the boxcar to continue on foot. The recording introduced Rodgers' trademark train whistle. Rodgers produced the sound on the back of his throat, by mixing a yodel with a whistle.Rodgers arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, a week before his recording session for the Victor Talking Machine Company was scheduled. He stayed at the Robert Fulton Hotel. While experiencing the night life of the city at a speakeasy, Rodgers encountered a jazz combo composed of Dean Bryan, C. L. Hutchinson, James Rikard, George MacMillan and John Westbrook. Rodgers invited the group to join him in his upcoming session after trying out some songs with their backing. The October 22 session took place between 9 AM and 1 PM, and yielded the recordings of "Waiting For a Train" and "I'm Lonely and Blue".
"Waiting for a Train" was paired with a song from a later session, "Blue Yodel No. 4", and was released as its flipside, on February 8, 1929. It was copyrighted on March 23. The single sold 365,000 copies upon its release, and became Rodgers' second-best-selling recording.
Legacy
The composition became significant at the time, as the Wall Street Crash of 1929 in October lead on to the Great Depression. The themes depicted on it would become common place in the lives of unemployed Americans. In November 1929, Rodgers starred in the short The Singing Brakeman, by Columbia Pictures. Filmed on the Victor lot in Camden, New Jersey, the film depicted Rodgers singing in a railroad restaurant. It opened with "Waiting for a Train".Rodgers became the best-selling country act of 1929. Other labels started to look for artists that sounded like him to replicate his success. Though it was at the time already considered a traditional song, Prince Albert Hunt claimed that Rodgers copied his record. "Waiting for a Train" was first covered by Ed Jake West on the American Record Corporation label, followed by Riley Puckett on Columbia Records. In May 1929, Gene Autry released his own cover of the song. His producer, Art Satherley talked to him about not recording any more Rodgers covers. Since Autry had been covering many of Rodgers' songs soon after their release, Satherley felt he was becoming an imitator. The singles sold poorly, and he advised Autry to find better material. Buddy Jones covered it in 1940, and Wilf Carter in 1941. Ernest Tubb released it on Decca Records in 1948. Based on the aggregate score of 73 by operators, disk-jockeys and record dealers, Billboard deemed Tubb's version on its scale as "good".
Johnny Cash included it in his album Blood, Sweat and Tears. On May 10, 1962, Cash appeared at Carnegie Hall. A fan of Rodgers', Cash designed a concept show based around him. Rodgers' daughter lent him one of her fathers' costumes to wear during the appearance. Cash ordered the lights of the concert hall to be turned off, so he could be only illuminated during his entrance by a lantern that belonged to Rodgers. Following a Rodgers signature move, Cash walked to a chair on the center of the stage, and put his knee on it. He opened with "Waiting for a Train". George Harrison cited Rodgers as one of his early influences, and credited the pairing of "Blue Yodel No. 4" and "Waiting for a Train" as the first guitar recordings he heard. Merle Haggard covered it in his 1969 tribute album Same Train, a Different Time. Jerry Lee Lewis released a version of it on Sun Records in 1970. Lewis' version peaked at eleven in the Hot Country Singles chart in 1971.