The Ballad of Casey Jones facts for kids

"The Ballad of Casey Jones" is a famous traditional American folk song. It tells the exciting story of Casey Jones, a brave railroad engineer. The song is also known as "Casey Jones, the Brave Engineer" or simply "Casey Jones".

The song describes how Casey Jones and his helper, Sim Webb, worked hard to make their train run on time. They were racing their powerful locomotive when they discovered another train was ahead on the tracks. Casey Jones, showing incredible courage, stayed on board to try and stop the train. Sim Webb, his fireman, jumped to safety. This heroic act made Casey Jones a legend.

Over the years, this song has helped keep Casey Jones' memory alive. There are more than 40 different versions of the song! It has made Casey Jones a legendary figure, much like other American folk heroes such as Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyan. Books and magazines about railroads and their heroes also helped share his story.

The Story Behind the Song

How the Song Began

Soon after Casey Jones' death, his friend, Wallace Saunders, started singing a song about him. Wallace Saunders worked cleaning steam engines. He was known for singing and whistling while he worked. He greatly admired Casey Jones, even when Casey was just a freight engineer. Saunders sang his song to the tune of a popular song called "Jimmie Jones." However, he never officially protected his song, so we don't know the exact words he sang.

Spreading the Tune

As railroad workers traveled through Canton, Mississippi, they heard Saunders' song. They then shared it with others along the Illinois Central (I.C.) railway line. Soon, the song was very popular among railroaders.

Later, an Illinois Central Engineer named William Leighton saw how popular the song was. He told his brothers, Frank and Bert Leighton, about it. Frank and Bert were vaudeville performers, meaning they entertained people in theaters. They started singing the song in theaters across the country. They even added a chorus to it. But like Saunders, they didn't officially protect their version of the song.

A Published Version and Disagreements

Finally, in 1909, a version of the song was officially published and sold. T. Lawrence Seibert was credited with the lyrics, and Eddie Newton with the music. They called it "Casey Jones, The Brave Engineer." This version was meant to be entertaining and was even called the "Greatest Comedy Hit In Years" on its sheet music cover.

However, Casey Jones' widow, Mrs. Jones, strongly disagreed with some of the song's lyrics. She felt they did not accurately tell her family's story and spent many years correcting these misunderstandings.

By the time of World War I, many different versions of the song had been published. Millions of copies were sold, making Casey Jones a well-known American folk hero. The famous poet Carl Sandburg even called "Casey Jones, the Brave Engineer" the "greatest ballad ever written." Casey Jones is also mentioned in many other railroad songs, like "Freight Train Boogie."

Famous Recordings of "Casey Jones"

Many artists have recorded "The Ballad of Casey Jones" over the years. Here are some of the well-known recordings:

• Collins & Harlan (1910)
• Billy Murray (1912)
• Furry Lewis (1928)
• American Folklife recording (1932)
• Pete Seeger (1956)
• The Dixieaires (1949)
• Burl Ives (1954)
• Johnny Cash
• Milt Okun (1957)
• The Golden Gate Quartet (1960)
• Bing Crosby (1961, on his album 101 Gang Songs)
• Merrill Jay Singers (1961)
• Elizabeth Cotten (1965)
• Robert De Cormier Singers
• Joe Hickerson (2002)
• Spike Jones and his City Slickers – this version had new lyrics about Casey Jones Jr., who was a bombardier during World War II.
• Mississippi John Hurt

It's important to know that "The Ballad of Casey Jones" is a different song from "Casey Jones" by the Grateful Dead. There are also several other songs that mention Casey Jones.

See also

• List of train songs