Ride The Train

Album: Feels So Right (1981)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Alabama bass player Teddy Gentry wrote this track for the band's fifth studio album, their first to hit #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. On the Billboard 200, which includes all genres, the album peaked at #16, where it stayed for over three years.
  • "I was always a big fan of trains, fascinated by them when I was growing up," Gentry told us in a Songfacts interview. "I heard my grandpa tell stories about how he and his brother used to jump on a train, go to Chattanooga and get off. I always thought that would be cool to do. So it was really kind of an imaginary trip for me to take on a train."
  • Because they had to submit the artwork for the album a month before it was finished, the band was forced to put the cart before the horse, so to speak. Gentry explained: "The funny thing about the song is that I had to turn in the title before I wrote it, and I had a time limit on it. So I had to write the song and make the time come out close to the same time that we had listed on the record."

Comments: 1

  • Mickey Meiklejohn from DelawareWho is playing harmonica on the song Ride The Train
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."