"Long Black Train" is a song written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer

Josh Turner Joshua Otis Turner (born November 20, 1977) is an American country and gospel singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to MCA Nashville Records. That same year, his debut album's title track, "Long Black Train", was his breakthrough single ...

. It was released in May 2003 as the second single and title track from his debut album of the same name. Having spent more than 30 weeks on the '' Billboard'' country charts, "Long Black Train" reached a peak of #13 in early 2004. On April 23, 2018, it was certified as Platinum by the RIAA.

Content

"Long Black Train" is a mid-tempo song featuring acoustic guitar, fills from pedabro and fiddle, and a percussive rhythm reminiscent of a steam locomotive in motion. Using a

funeral train A funeral train carries a coffin or coffins (caskets) to a place of interment by railway. Funeral trains today are often reserved for leaders, national heroes, or government officials, as part of a state funeral, but in the past were sometimes ...

as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...

, the lyrics tell of resisting temptation from the

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...

. Turner told ''The Boot'' that the song was inspired by a vision that he had of a long, black train running down a track in the middle of nowhere. Turner said, "I could see people standing out to the sides of this track watching this train go by. As I was walking, experiencing this vision, I kept asking myself, 'What does this vision mean and what is this train?' It dawned on me that this train was a physical metaphor for temptation. These people are caught up in the decision of whether or not to go on this train". The song is composed in the key of

B-flat major B-flat major is a major scale based on B, with pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative minor is G minor and its parallel minor is B-flat minor. The B-flat major scale is: : Many transposing ins ...

Critical reception

Steve Leggett of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

said of the song, "sung in Turner's deep voice, it rolls across country radio like nothing else on the scene, the ominous breath of hellfire in the lyrics conjuring up the ghost of Johnny Cash." Hank Kalet of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

also described the song favorably: "It is a proudly religious song, almost fiery, defiant."

Music video

The music video for this song was shot at the

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a railroad museum and heritage railroad in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman an ...

in a few different locations along a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

track. The various shots of Turner include him walking through a tunnel, standing on the tracks singing, and from above while he is playing guitar. The video features various characters, all of whom are participating in various

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

ful activities (including binge drinking,

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...

, drug abuse and prostitution), and are shown on the train tracks as well. Some of the characters disappear when the train passes over them, indicating they gave in to sin, while the others remain on the tracks, indicating they were able to resist or repent. The video also featured ex-Army Class 2-8-0 Consolidation #610 as the locomotive pulling the train.

Personnel

* Eric Darken - percussion *

Shannon Forrest Shannon Forrest (born August 22, 1973 in Easley, South Carolina) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. As a session drummer, he has contributed to the work of many well-known artists, and he is also a pr ...

- drums * Kevin "Swine" Grantt -

upright bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

* Aubrey Haynie - fiddle * Wes Hightower - backing vocals * Mike Johnson - Dobro *

Steve Nathan Steven Jay Nathan is an American keyboardist. He is known for his session work in Muscle Shoals and Nashville studios. Biography Nathan was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. In 1977, Nathan moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After touring w ...

- piano *

Brent Rowan Brent Rowan (born May 28, 1956 in Waxahachie, Texas) is an American session musician and record producer who works primarily in country music. Active since the 1970s, Rowan began working with John Conlee through the recommendation of record produce ...

- electric guitar *

Bryan Sutton Bryan Sutton is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs. Biography Early career Sutton's grandfather and ...

- acoustic guitar, banjo * Russell Terrell - backing vocals

Chart performance

"Long Black Train" debuted at number 60 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 31, 2003.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2003 singles Josh Turner songs Music videos directed by Steven Goldmann Songs about trains Song recordings produced by Frank Rogers (record producer) MCA Nashville Records singles Song recordings produced by Mark Wright (record producer) Songs written by Josh Turner 2003 songs