Blue Train (Johnny Cash song) explained

Blue Train
Type:	single
Artist:	Johnny Cash
Album:	All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash
B-Side:	"Born to Lose"
Released:	1962
Recorded:	1958
Label:	Sun

"Blue Train" is a song written by William H. Smith. Originally recorded by Johnny Cash for Sun in May 1958, it wasn't released until 1962,^[1] when Cash's long-time former label chose it as the opening track of his album All Aboard the Blue Train and for a single release.

Composition

It is a catchy, bluesy song in the "love and unrequited" vein that predominated in the songs Johnny Cash did at Sun.^[2]

Reception

The single failed to chart. According to C. Eric Banister, the author of the book Johnny Cash FAQ, the song "deserved more recognition that it got".^[3]

Track listing

7" single (Sun 376, 1962)

1. "Blue Train" (2:01)
2. "Born to Lose" (2:08)^[4]

Covers

The song has been covered by a number of artists including Marty Stuart.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cover versions of Blue Train by Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two. SecondHandSongs. 2022-05-05.
2. Book: McLaurin . M.A. . Peterson . R.A. . You Wrote My Life: Lyrical Themes in Country Music . Gordon and Breach . Cultural perspectives on the American South . 1992 . 978-2-88124-548-0 . 2023-11-19 . 139.
3. Book: Banister, C.E. . Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black . Backbeat . 2014 . 978-1-61713-609-2 . 2023-11-19 . 62.
4. Web site: Johnny Cash And The Tennessee Two - Blue Train / Born To Lose. . 2023-11-19.

5. References