"Mystery Train" is a song recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Considered a blues standard, Parker, billed as "Little Junior's Blue Flames", recorded the song for producer/Sun Records owner Sam Phillips and it was released on the Sun label. The song was written by Junior Parker (aka Herman Parker), with a credit later given to Phillips.
One commentator noted "One of the mysteries about 'Mystery Train' was where the title came from; it was mentioned nowhere in the song". The song uses lyrics similar to those found in the traditional American folk music group Carter Family's "Worried Man Blues", itself based on an old Celtic ballad, and their biggest selling record of 1930:
- The train arrived sixteen coaches long
- The train arrived sixteen coaches long
- The girl I love is on that train and gone
Parker's lyrics include:
- Train I ride sixteen coaches long
- Train I ride sixteen coaches long
- Well, that long black train carries my baby home
"Mystery Train" was the follow-up single to Junior Parker's 1953 number five Billboard R&B chart release "Feelin' Good" (Sun 187). Accompanying Parker (vocal) is his backup band the "Blue Flames", whose members at the time are believed to include: Floyd Murphy (guitar); William Johnson (piano); Kenneth Banks (bass); John Bowers (drums); and Raymond Hill (tenor sax).
Read more about Mystery Train: Elvis Presley Version, The Band Version, Other Recordings
Famous quotes containing the words mystery and/or train:
“What constitutes a real, live human being is more of a mystery than ever these days, and men—each one of whom is a valuable, unique experiment on the part of nature—are shot down wholesale.”
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“The train was crammed, the heat stifling. We feel out of sorts, but do not quite know if we are hungry or drowsy. But when we have fed and slept, life will regain its looks, and the American instruments will make music in the merry cafe described by our friend Lange. And then, sometime later, we die.”
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