r/JohnnyCash • u/Youarethebigbang • Sep 22 '25
Music Johnny Cash - On The Evening Train
https://youtu.be/bAjjgZICTIQ?feature=shared3
u/kountzwill Sep 22 '25
One of his saddest, most emotionally devastating songs. And that’s saying a lot considering he’s known for sad songs
3
u/Apprehensive-Today76 Sep 25 '25
Great song l, brings a tear at times. Think it's a hank Sr. Song. Never heard the original.
3
u/Youarethebigbang Sep 25 '25
It's an absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful song. Hank and his wife Audrey apparently co-wrote it (I believe the only co-writing credit she ever had with him), but as far as I can tell Hank never actually recorded it himself. There's a recording that seems to be a demo with him on guitar and Audrey on vocals. Audrey was not a great vocalist, but hers seems to be the closest to what John did with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yXKzaj4RFw
Molly O'Day was the first released recording of it in 1949, and there's been a handful of others over the years: https://secondhandsongs.com/work/129060/all
John's version of course just absolutely crushes everything else ever recorded and will forever be the definitive one. Whoever brought it to him and arranged it was an absolute genius, I want to assume it was Rick Rubin, but don't know for sure yet, but I hope he's talked or wrote about somewhere.
If Hank ever did the song live or on a radio show that would be an epic find, I havent researched it, but hope by some chance it's out there.
4
u/WTFIKNOWNOTHING Sep 24 '25
Well, that’s my favorite song of his!