The jam session seems to have happened by pure chance. Perkins, who by this time had already met success with "Blue Suede Shoes", had come into the studios that day, accompanied by his brothers Clayton and Jay and by drummer W.S. Holland, their aim being to cut some new material, including a revamped version of an old blues song, "Matchbox". Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, who wished to try to fatten this sparse rockabilly instrumentation, had brought in his latest acquisition, singer and piano man extraordinaire, Jerry Lee Lewis, still unknown outside Memphis, to play the piano on the Perkins session.
Sometime in the early afternoon, Elvis Presley, a former SUN artist himself, but now at RCA, dropped in to pay a casual visit accompanied by a girlfriend, Marilyn Evans. He was, at the time, the biggest name in show business, having hit the top of the singles charts five times, and topping the album charts twice in the preceding 12 month period. Less than four months earlier, he had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, pulling an unheard-of 83% of the television audience, which was estimated at 55 million, the largest in history, up to that time. After chatting with Philips in the control room, Presley listened to the playback of the Perkins’ session, which he pronounced to be good. Then he went into the studio and some time later the jam session began. Phillips left the tapes running in order to "capture the moment" as a souvenir and for posterity. At some point during the session, SUN artist Johnny Cash, who had also enjoyed a few hits on the country charts, popped in.
As the session continued, Phillips spotted an opportunity for some publicity and called a local newspaper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar. Bob Johnson, the newspaper’s entertainment editor came over to the studios accompanied by a UPI representative named Leo Soroca, and a photographer.
The following day, an article, written by Johnson about the session, was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title, "Million Dollar Quartet". The article contained the now well known photograph of Elvis Presley seated at the piano surrounded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.
Mystery Train
The Million Dollar Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train got my baby and gone
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
No, not again
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine
She's mine, all mine
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
'Round, 'round the bend
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
'Round, 'round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Never will again
The Million Dollar Quartet's song Mystery Train is a melancholy blues ballad that tells a story of a train ride that took the singer's baby away. The opening verse "Train I ride, sixteen coaches long" is repeated twice to emphasize the length of the train and the magnitude of the loss. The singer sings that the "long black train" has taken his baby away, leaving him with a sense of loss and heartbreak. The chorus "Train, train, comin' 'round the bend" is also repeated several times, signifying the inevitability of fate and the cyclical nature of life.
The verse "Well, it took my baby, but it never will again" offers a glimmer of hope that maybe the train will bring his baby back to him. The repetition of the chorus in subsequent verses reinforces the power of the train and the singer's sense of loss. The final repetition of "Never will again" offers a sense of finality, as if the singer has come to terms with his loss and is resigned to his fate.
Overall, Mystery Train is a powerful and emotional song that captures the essence of the blues. The train symbolizes fate, and the singer's sense of loss is palpable throughout. The repetition of the chorus and verses adds to the hypnotic quality of the song, drawing the listener in and immersing them in the singer's emotional journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
I'm riding a train that's incredibly long, with 16 carriages.
Well, that long black train got my baby and gone
Unfortunately, my significant other was taken away by a long, black train.
Train, train, comin' 'round the bend
I see a train on its way, coming around a bend in the tracks.
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Although the train took my loved one away before, it won't do so again in the future.
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Another train is coming in my direction from down the tracks.
Well, it's bringin' my baby 'cause she's mine, all mine
This train is carrying my significant other back to me, where they belong.
Train, train, comin' 'round, 'round the bend
A train is coming around a bend once again, this time in a circular motion.
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Although the train took my partner before, this will not happen once more.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERMAN PARKER JR., SAM PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rob Saxe
No matter what genre of music you prefer, you have to appreciate these guys. My goodness that's such a treat to see. Legends of music 🎶.
MH Morris
I was just thinking that I wish I had appreciated the gifts and talent of these men - at 60 I’m just now seeing…
Ellen Rutledge
I certainly loved this song performed by these massive talents. RIP to all.....
Willy Maykit
@Ellen Rutledge You must not have ears.
Rex Dart
Jerry Lee Lewis didn’t really live for Jesus.
J Fred Knobloch
I love to hear them each take a different take on the phrasing of the verses they’re doing. It’s stunning!
Ellen Rutledge
Stunning indeed !!!
Nickellion
Yes sir! Tipping my hat to you.
Dyn Jarren
Four great Legends sing a Gospel song for their friend Elvis. This is a wonderful tribute and song!
RIP
Maida Haltrecht
Now they are all gone. Jerry Lee Lewis was the last to survive and lived until November 2022.