Lyr Add: Marlborough Street Blues (Ian Tyson)

Subject: Help? I don't know the title of the song
From: GUEST,Dan W.
Date: 13 Jul 08 - 11:49 PM

I am looking for the lyrics to a song that starts with "Freight train come by here, it's 23 box cars long." and the verse ends with the words "I don't know one woman in this town" If you can help, please email to [e-mail] thank you all.

Subject: RE: Help? I don't know the title of the song
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Jul 08 - 12:40 AM

The only one I can think of that mentions 23 box cars is "Swig of the Stew"...but I don't think it's the one.

Subject: RE: I don't know the title of the song-23 box cars
From: GUEST,A. Lawrence
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 04:55 PM

It's Marlborough Street Blues from an old Ian & Sylvia album. Can't remember which one off the top of my head.

Subject: RE: I don't know the title of the song-23 box cars
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 08:47 PM

There is a labor protest song about 23 boxcars but I can't find it.

In 1917, at the copper mines in Bisbee, AZ, some 2000 men went on strike; nearly all were Mexican, southern Italian, or Balkan. Threatened with deportation, 1186 refused to go back to work and, with the aid of Phelps-Dodge bosses, Cochise County officials and a large group of vigilantes, were loaded aboard 23 boxcars of the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad and shipped out of Bisbee.
About 15 hours later, near Hermanas, NM, the men jumped from the overloaded cars. They were abandoned, without food or water.
President Woodrow Wilson ordered the army to set up a camp for them at Columbus, NM.
Phelps-Dodge bosses, the sheriff and county officials and others were charged with conspiracy and kidnapping the following year, but were acquited. The copper companies gained control of Arizona politics.

I would very much appreciate the lyrics of the song, which I have been told is in the form of a corrido.

Some reforms were enacted when Mexican-American veterans returned after WW2 and unions again were allowed.

Thomas E. Sheridan, 1998, "A History of the Southwest, the Land and its People," p. 62ff. Western National Parks Association.
A book about the strike of 1983 discusses more recent conditions:
Jonathan D. Rosenbloom, 1999, "Copper Crucible: How the Arizona Miners' Strike of 1983 Recast Labor-Management Relations in America," Cornell University Press.
Also about labor and race in Arizona:
Philip J. Mellinger, 1995, "Race and Labor in Western Copper: The Fight for Equality, 1896-1918," Univ. Arizona Press.

At this time, Arizona is in the process of imposing very harsh illegal immigrant rules that seem to violate constitutional guarantees.

Subject: ADD: Marlborough Street Blues (Ian Tyson)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 03:03 AM

MARLBOROUGH STREET BLUES
(Ian Tyson)

Well, a freight train come by here, it's 23 boxcar long,
Freight train roll by here, 'twas 23 boxcar long,
Sometime late last night, should be on a train and gone.
Oh, Lord, I don't know one woman in this town.
Oh, I don't know one woman in this town.

There's plenty of jobs around, but it's only cleaning cars;
Plenty of jobs around, but it's only washing cars;
Forty-two a week, you roll your own, don't make the bars.
Lord, Lord, Lord, I don't know one woman in this town.
Oh, I don't know one woman in this town.

Oh, there's a crack under the door, and the snow drifts through inside;
But no letters and no money from all my friends outside.

Oh, when you're with a girl, freight train don't sound so bad,
Oh, when you're with a girl, freight train don't sound so bad;
But when you're all alone, oh the blues get low and sad;
Oh, Lord, Lord, I don't know one woman in this town.
Oh, I don't know one woman in this town.

Oh, there's a crack under the door, and the snow drifts through inside;
But no letters and no money from all my friends outside.

Oh, when you're with a girl, freight train don't sound so bad,
Oh, when you're with a girl, freight train don't sound so bad;
But when you're all alone, oh the blues get low and sad;
Oh, Lord, I don't know one woman in this town.
Oh, I don't know one woman in this town.


transcribed by ear from Ian & Sylvia: The Complete Vanguard Recordings


-Joe Offer-
(e-mail sent to requestor)

Subject: RE: ADD: Marlborough Street Blues-23 box cars
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 01:18 PM

I got a nice e-mail back from Dan W. He thanks A. Lawrence for coming up with the title of the song (and he thanked me for posting it).
I thank you, too, A. Lawrence. Without the title, I had no luck finding this song.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: ADD: Marlborough Street Blues-23 box cars
From: GUEST,steve
Date: 26 Jul 09 - 02:39 PM

anybody know the chords to this song? would love to learn it!

thanks,
steve

Subject: RE: ADD: Marlborough Street Blues-23 box cars
From: GUEST,Bless Monte Dunn
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 10:31 PM

I think it was a 12-string Ian was playing. May have dropped D tuning, which involves tuning the low string down from E to D.

Playing in the key of D, which may not be the tune's actual singing key, I get:

D                               C G       D
Freight Train come by here, it's 23 Boxcars long
second line is same chording

D                                  C       G         A (Hammer E note
Sometime late last night should be on that train and gone

G                              D
I don't know one woman in this town.

Subject: RE: ADD: Marlborough Street Blues-23 box cars
From: GUEST,Bless Monte Dunn
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 10:36 PM

I see the verse and chords don't line up now from my
submission a few minutes ago.

On the first line, the C change is over the "23"
G change over Boxcars
D change over long

Proceed accordingly at the other verses. It's easy to
get an interesting sound if you play this in D.

Subject: RE: ADD: Marlborough Street Blues-23 box cars
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 10:56 PM

That's the beauty of the blues... Ya' keep it 1-4-5 an' don't much matter where ya' start...

B~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Marlborough Street Blues (Ian Tyson)
From: Cluin
Date: 17 Feb 13 - 06:11 PM

I believe the line in the bridge is:

"But no letters and no money from all the friends I've tried.


It was track 5, side A of Ian & Sylvia's "Early Morning Rain" album (1965)... and recorded in Eb (just for completeness' sake)