Little Black Train

Written by: [Traditional]
Language: English
ISWC: T-905.769.188-0 JASRAC
Comments: Traditional song often associated with A.P. Carter who copyrighted it in the 1930s. However, neither the music nor the lyrics were original to him. In 1925, Dorothy Scarborough published a set of lyrics describing this song as a "Holy Roller song from Texas." Under the title "Judgement Train," a set of lyrics was published in 1916. A larger set of lyrics was published in 1907 with title "The Little Black Train."
In his book "Long Steel Rail," Norm Cohen described the tune used by the Carter Family for "Little Black Train" as similar to the melody of "Roving Gambler."
Published by: APRS BMI
Licensing: Request a synchronization license

Versions

Title	Performer	Release date
Death's Black Train Is Coming	Rev. J. M. Gates	July 20, 1926
Death's Black Train Is Coming	Rev. H. R. Tomlin assisted by Rigoletto Quintette	September 1926
The Little Black Train Is Coming	Emry and Henry Arthur	June 1928
The Little Black Train	Carter Family	July 1937
Little Black Train	Peggy Seeger with Penny and Barbara Seeger	January 1962
Little Black Train	Dock Boggs	1965
Little Black Train	Ernest C. Martin	1966
The Little Black Train	Mike and Peggy Seeger	1977
Little Black Train	Boot Hill	1978
Little Black Train	IIIrd Tyme Out	October 29, 1993
Little Black Train Is Coming	The New Coon Creek Girls	May 1996
The Little Black Train	Debby McClatchy	1998
Little Black Train	Foghorn Duo	2008
Little Black Train	Kenny Blackwell - Stuart Mason - John Weed	2010
Little Black Train	The Lonesome Sisters & Riley Baugus	July 19, 2012
Little Black Train	Carlene Carter	April 8, 2014
Little Black Train	The Corn Potato String Band	February 14, 2015
Little Black Train	Anna & Elizabeth	March 17, 2015
Little Black Train	Indra Rios-Moore	April 13, 2015
Little Black Train	The Wayfarers	July 25, 2015
Little Black Train	The Jake Leg Jug Band	July 7, 2017
Little Black Train	Appalachian Road Show	October 12, 2018
Little Black Train	Butler Creek Boys	2023

		Title	Performer	Release date	Info
	i	Little Black Train	Curly Ray Cline with Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys	1983

		Title	Performer	Release date	Info
		Little Black Train	Woody Guthrie	1965	First release Released more than 10 years after its recording