- Written by
- [Traditional]
- Language
- English
- Comments
-
Mostly called "Casey Jones", this is about locomotive driver Casey Jones, who is said to on April 30, 1900, have tried to prevent his speeding train from crashing into another one. Nearly succeeding, he saved all passengers and, being the only one killed, became a legend.
T. Lawrence Seibert/Eddie Newton were first to copyright the song, but many others credited themselves for the authorship and, like with all traditionals, the lyrics have been varied throughout the years.
Jones having jumped in for another driver on strike, Joe Hill in 1911 wrote a widely known parody and called it Casey Jones - The Union Scab
There are also closely related songs like, f. ex., Freight Train Boogie or Ben Dewberry's Final Run. Some consider J.C. Holmes Blues a parody and Grateful Dead took the matter to another level in their own song Casey Jones.
First lines of the traditional song:
Come, all you rounders, if you want to hear
The story told of a brave engineer;
Casey Jones was the rounder’s name
A high right-wheeler of mighty fame
Of mighty fame, of mighty fame - Licensing
- Request a synchronization license
Versions
The Ballad of Casey Jones written by [Traditional] English
The Ballad of Casey Jones written by [Traditional] instrumental
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Ballad of Casey Jones | J. Lawrence Cook | 1914 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Sidney Bechet - Claude Luter et son orchestre | 1950 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Bob Kames | 1959 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | The River Boat Five | 1959 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Kenyon Hopkins | January 1960 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Richard Maltby & His Orchestra | 1960 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | The Imperial Band | 1963 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Barrel Fingers Barry | 1964 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Raymond Fairchild and The Frosty Mountain Boys | 1966 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Elizabeth Cotten | 1979 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Wilson Douglas | 1989 | ||
| i | Casey Jones (The Brave Engineer) | Chris Tyle's Silver Leaf Jazz Band | 1993 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Wayne Erbsen | 1997 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Jake Krack & the Whoopin' Hollar String Band | 2002 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Craig Duncan | 2003 | ||
| i | Casey Jones | Art Sulger | 2006 |
Kasey Jones written by [Unknown] Creoles and pidgins, French-based (Other)
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasey Jones | Les frères Balfa | 1975 | First release |
Casey Jones written by Ronald Kraus Czech
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Jones | Kamarádi táborových ohňů | 1971 | First release |
Casey Jones written by Petr Rada Czech
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Jones | Rangers | 1996 | First release |
Kde jsi, Joe? written by Vilém Dubnička Czech
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kde jsi, Joe? | Hlasoplet | 2010 | First release A cappella |
Casey Jones - The Union Scab written by Joe Hill English
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Jones | Joe Glazer | 1954 | |||
| Casey Jones | The Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger and Chorus | 1955 | |||
| Casey Jones (The Union Scab) | Earl Robinson | 1963 | |||
| Casey Jones | Mats Paulson | 1968 | |||
| Casey Jones (I.W.W. Version) | Harry K. McClintock | 1972 | Released more than 10 years after its recording | ||
| Casey Jones | Hayati | 1972 | |||
| Casey Jones - The Union Scab | Utah Phillips | 1983 | |||
| Casey Jones - The Union Scab | Pete Seeger and The Song Swappers | 1990 | |||
| Casey Jones | Jerry Garcia & David Grisman | October 15, 1996 | |||
| Casey Jones | Shannon Murray | 2005 | |||
| Casey Jones - The Union Scab | Rabble Rousers | 2008 | |||
| Casey Jones - The Union Scab | Johnsburg 3 | 2010 | |||
| Casey Jones | John McCutcheon | May 1, 2015 | |||
| Casey Jones | Lucas Stark | October 9, 2015 |
Casey Jones written by Jan Vyčítal Czech
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Jones | Zelenáči | 1973 | First recording on March 27, 1973 First release |
Aantti Mäntti lakkorikkuri written by Olli Pellikka Finnish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aantti Mäntti lakkorikkuri | Turun ylioppilasteatterin lauluryhmä | 1975 | First release |
Casey Jones written by Heinz Kahlau German
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Jones | Oktoberklub | 1973 | First release |
Der Streikbrecher written by Hanns Eisler, Ilsa Kulcsar German
Palli Hall written by Ásgeir G. Ingvarsson Icelandic
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palli Hall | Hálft í hvoru | 1982 | First release |
Кейзи Джонс {Keyzi Dzhons} written by Samuil Bolotin, Tatyana Sikorskaya Russian
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Кейзи Джонс | Леонид Утёсов (Leonid Utyosov) | 1961 | First release |
Casey Jones written by Rune Lindström Swedish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Jones | Finn Zetterholm | 1969 | First release | ||
| Casey Jones | Mora Träsk | 1979 | |||
| Casey Jones - strejkbrytaren | Ensemble från Riksteatern | 1979 | |||
| Casey Jones - strejkbrytaren | Pierre Ström, Oscar Norrman, Anders Granell | 1979 | |||
| Casey Jones | Lucas Stark | 2010 | |||
| Casey Jones | Folkteatern | 2014 |
J.C. Cohen written by Lou Busch, Allan Sherman English
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.C. Cohen | Allan Sherman | 1964 | First release |