Donegan was born as Anthony James Donegan in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of a professional violinist. His ethnic mix was Scottish/Irish. He moved with his mother to London at an early age, after his parents divorced. Inspired by blues music and New Orleans jazz bands he heard on the radio, he resolved to learn the guitar, and bought his first at the age of fourteen.
The first band he ever played in was the trad jazz band led by Chris Barber, who approached him on a train asking him if he wanted to audition for his group. Barber had heard that Donegan was a good banjo player; in fact, Donegan had never played the banjo at this point, but he bought one and managed to bluff his way through the audition. His stint in this group was interrupted, however, when he was called up for National Service in 1949. He also played in Ken Colyer's group
In 1952, he formed his first own group, the Tony Donegan Jazzband, which found some work around London. On one occasion they opened for the blues musician Lonnie Johnson at the Royal Festival Hall. Donegan was a big fan of Johnson, and took his first name as a tribute to him. The story goes that the host at the concert got the musicians' names confused, calling them "Tony Johnson" and "Lonnie Donegan", and Donegan was happy to keep the name.
With a washboard, a tea-chest bass and a cheap Spanish guitar, Donegan entertained audiences with folk and blues songs by artists such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. This proved so popular that in July 1954 he recorded a fast-tempoed version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line", featuring a washboard but not a tea-chest bass, with "John Henry" on the B-side. It was an enormous hit in 1956 (which also later inspired the creation of a full album, An Englishman Sings American Folk Songs, released in America on the Mercury label in the early 1960s) but ironically, because it was a band recording, Donegan made no money from this recording beyond his original session fee. (Nevertheless, Donegan received considerable music publishing royalties from "Rock Island" simply by claiming the British copyright on an unregistered song which was considered to be in the Public Domain. This led to the peculiar situation that any "cover" version of "Rock Island Line" which was released on record in Britain from 1956 showed the song composition credited to Lonnie Donegan.) It was the first debut record to go gold in the UK, and reached the Top Ten in the United States. His next single for Decca, "Diggin' My Potatoes", was recorded at a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 30 October 1954.[4] Decca dropped Donegan thereafter, but within a month he was at the Abbey Road Studios in London recording for EMI's Columbia label. He had left the Barber band by then, and by the spring of 1955, Donegan signed a recording contract with Pye. His next single "Lost John" reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart.
His success at the time saw Donegan sent to the United States, where he appeared on television on both Perry Como Show and Paul Winchell Show. Returning to the UK, Donegan recorded his debut album, Lonnie Donegan Showcase, in the summer of 1956, which featured songs by Lead Belly and Leroy Carr, plus "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and "Wabash Cannonball". The LP was a hit, securing sales in the hundreds of thousands.[4] The popular skiffle style encouraged amateurs to get started, and one of the many skiffle groups that followed was The Quarrymen formed in March 1957 by John Lennon. Donegan's "Gamblin' Man" / "Puttin' On the Style" single was number one on the UK chart in July 1957, when Lennon first met Paul McCartney.
Donegan went on to make a series of popular records with successes including "Cumberland Gap" and, particularly "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour (On The Bedpost Over Night)", his only hit song in the U.S., released on Dot. He turned to a music hall style with "My Old Man's a Dustman" which was not well received by skiffle fans, or in an attempted but ultimately unsuccessful American release by Atlantic in 1960, but it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Donegan's group had a flexible line-up, but was generally formed by Denny Wright or Les Bennetts (of Les Hobeaux and Chas McDevitt's skiffle groups) playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals, Micky Ashman or Pete Huggett - later Steve Jones - on upright bass, Nick Nichols - later Pete Appleby and Mark Goodwin - on drums or percussion and Donegan playing acoustic guitar or banjo and singing the lead.
He continued to appear regularly in the UK charts until 1962, before succumbing to the arrival of The Beatles and beat music.
Add 1: In the early fifties after Donegan was demobbed from National Service he joined Chris Barber and Ken Colyer and others called Ken Colyer's Jazzmen which consisted of Ken Colyer (trumpet), Chris Barber (trombone), Monty Sunshine (clarinet), Lonnie Donegan (banjo), Jim Bray (bass) Dickie Bishop (Guitar) and Ron Bowden (drums). This group recorded two excellent blues numbers with Lonnie Donegan as vocal called "In the evening when de sun go down" and "The Midnight Special" After a year, Ken colyer stormed out of the group and Chris Barber took over.
http://www.p.griggsy.btinternet.co.uk/Untitled/Lonnie.html (Memories of Lonnie Donegan by Paul Griggs)
This Train
Lonnie Donegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This train don't carry no gamblers, this train
This train don't carry no gamblers,
no whiskey drinkers, and no high flyers
This train carry no gamblers, this train
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train is bound for glory,
This train bound for glory, this train
This train don't carry no liars, this train
This train don't carry no liars, this train
This train don't carry no liars,
no hypocrites and no high flyers
This train don't carry no liars, this train
This train is built for speed, boy, this train
This train is built for speed, now, this train
This train is built for speed,
fastest train you ever did see
Now, this train is built for speed, boy, this train
This train is solid black, oh, this train
This train is solid black, oh, this train
This train is solid black,
when you go there you don't come back
Oh, this train is built for glory, this train
This train don't fit no transportation on this train
This train don't fit no transportation on this train
This train, you know, don't fit no transportation,
no Jim Crow and no discrimination on
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train don't care if you white or black on this train
This train don't care if you white or black on this train
This train don't care if you white or black,
everybody's treated just like a man
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train is bound for glory,
don't carry nothing but the righteous an' a holy
This train is bound for glory, this train
This train,
This train,
This train
The lyrics to Lonnie Donegan's song "This Train" speak about a train that only carries those who are righteous and holy. The train is a metaphor for a spiritual journey to heaven, and the lyrics refer to the exclusion of sinners, such as gamblers, whiskey drinkers, liars, hypocrites, and high flyers. The song emphasizes that this train is not built for speed for the sake of transportation but rather for the purpose of bringing people to a higher spiritual plane. The repetition of "This train is bound for glory" reinforces this idea.
In addition to its religious and spiritual themes, "This Train" also carries a message of equality and unity, stating that the train does not discriminate based on race or skin color, and that everyone on the train is treated equally. This reinforces the idea that the train is meant to bring people together on a higher spiritual level, regardless of their earthly differences.
Overall, "This Train" is a powerful and inspiring song that encourages listeners to strive for righteousness and equality. It uses the metaphor of a train journey to speak about spiritual growth and emphasizes the importance of living a good and wholesome life.
Line by Line Meaning
This train don't carry no gamblers, this train
This train specifically prohibits all gamblers from boarding
This train don't carry no gamblers,
Gamblers are unwelcome and not permitted to travel on this train
no whiskey drinkers, and no high flyers
Those who consume alcohol or exhibit arrogant behaviour are also forbidden from boarding
This train carry no gamblers, this train
Once again, this train must emphasize that gamblers are not allowed whatsoever
This train is bound for glory, this train
The destination of this train is a place of great honour and admiration
This train is bound for glory,
This train's final stop is a highly celebrated and respected place
don't carry nothing, but the righteous and the holy
Only individuals who are considered moral and pure are permitted to travel on this train
This train don't carry no liars, this train
Similarly to gamblers, individuals who are dishonest also must not board this train
This train is built for speed, boy, this train
This train has been designed and constructed with speed as a top priority
This train is built for speed, now, this train
This train has been built to be incredibly fast and efficient
fastest train you ever did see
This train is so swift that it will impress anyone who sees it
Now, this train is built for speed, boy, this train
Once again, it's worth noting that this train has been engineered with tremendous velocity in mind
This train is solid black, oh, this train
The train is completely black, with no other colours or shades on its exterior
when you go there you don't come back
The destination is so fantastic that anyone who arrives there won't want to leave
Oh, this train is built for glory, this train
Reiterating that this train is created to transport individuals to a place of immense honour and admiration
This train don't fit no transportation on this train
This train does not allow any other mode of transportation on board
This train, you know, don't fit no transportation,
This unique train is unable to accommodate or carry any other vehicles
no Jim Crow and no discrimination on
Discrimination or segregation based on race is completely prohibited on this train
This train don't care if you white or black on this train
This train is welcoming to individuals of all races and does not differentiate based on skin colour
everybody's treated just like a man
All passengers on this train are treated with respect and equality
This train is bound for glory,
Reinforcing the fact that the final destination of this train is a revered and celebrated place
This train is bound for glory,
Another reminder that the ultimate purpose of this train's trip is one of admiration and respect
This train is bound for glory,
A final confirmation that the endpoint of this journey is a highly esteemed and celebrated location
This train is bound for glory,
Another declaration that this train is exclusively for righteous and upstanding individuals
This train,
Ending with the phrase that started it all - this train
This train,
The last call to attention for this unique and exclusive transportation
This train
The final statement, a powerful and distinct declaration of this specific train
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROSETTA THARPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Hannon
on Wabash Cannonball
If you want the donegan lyrics from the recording this link has provided instead of the johnny cash ones they are as fallows;
Wabash Cannonball
by Lonnie Donegan
She came down from Birmingham, one cold December day
As she rolled into the station, you could hear the people say
That train from Indiana, she's long and she's tall...
That’s a combination called the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar
As she comes down the mountains through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear the lonesome hobos call
He’s racing through the jungle on the Wabash Cannon Ball
From the great Atlantic Ocean to the wide Pacific shore
From the green and flowing mountains to the old mill by the moor
She's long and handsome, and quite well known by all...
That’s a combination called the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar
As she comes down the mountains through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear the lonesome hobos call
He’s racing through the jungle on the Wabash Cannon Ball
Well here's to that old engineer his name will ever stand
And always be remembered in the courts throughout the land
When his mighty race is over and the curtains 'round him fall...
It'll carry him back to dixie on the Wabash Cannon Ball
Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar
As she comes down the mountains through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear the lonesome hobos call
Yeah he’s racing through the jungle on the Wabash Cannon Ball