Steel Mill Retro's cover version
Locomotive number 9 travelling down to New Orleans
Spitting fire, smoke black as coal, the hottest that I'd ever seen
Well Engineer, Mr. Engineer, won't you please get me home on time
I can't stay away, no not another day from this pretty little woman of mine
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I fear that I'd never get home
I been a long time dreaming of what I do when I get back
I'll be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Well hey there Mr. Conductor, won't you tell me what time we're due
I hate to seem impatient but you'd be excited too
If you had a pretty little woman like I got just waiting for you back at home
And when I reach her loving arms I never again shall roam
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I fear that I'd never get home
I been a long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I fear that I'd never get home
I been a long time dreaming of what I'll do when I get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
Seems kinda hard to believe that I'm going home at last
Well they say that things have changed, well I guess a lot of time has passed
And just a few more miles and a little more time before you know it I'll be there
And I'll be waltzing arm in arm with my darling electric chair
And I'll be waltzing arm in arm with my darling electric chair
I been a long time riding oh down this rusty track
And I feel that I'd never get home
I been a long time dreaming of what I'd do when I get back
Be there when the morning comes, when the morning comes
The above lyrics are for Steel Mill Retro's cover version of THE TRAIN SONG. It was released on All Man The Guns For America, their 2008 album of Bruce Springsteen songs that were first performed by the original Steel Mill.
Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez began drumming with Bruce Springsteen in February 1969 when they formed the band Child, then they continued together with Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom, and The Bruce Springsteen Band, before what would become known as The E Street Band came together in 1972. He played drums on Springsteen's first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle. He then left the band in February 1974 after being asked to resign because of his opposition to Mike Appel, Springsteen's ex-manager. After leaving the E Street Band, Lopez went onto playing drums with numerous Jersey Shore bands.
In 2001, Lopez had the idea of forming a new band who performs and records Steel Mill music as its main line business, music that was not performed for over 30 years, and that has never been officially released.
During The Rising Tour, Lopez met backstage with Bruce Springsteen at the 21 Jul 2003 show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, and approval was given to perform and record Steel Mill songs. Vini then joined Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band onstage that night, replacing Max Weinberg on drums during SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT.
In 2004, Lopez formed his new band, Steel Mill Retro, that mostly performs Steel Mill songs in the New Jersey Shore area. They released The Dead Sea Chronicles in 2005 and All Man The Guns For America in 2008. The two albums consist of Springsteen compositions from the Child and Steel Mill eras.
In 2008, Steel Mill Retro released All Man The Guns For America, a 9-track album, eight of which are Bruce Springsteen compositions from the Child and Steel Mill eras. The last track, CROWN LIQUOR, is the only non-Springsteen composition. The album was released on Mega International Records. It was reissued in 2009 on the same label but with different artwork.
List of available versions of THE TRAIN SONG on this website:
THE TRAIN SONG [Studio version]
