Train in Vain
Encyclopedia
"Train in Vain" is a song by the British punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 band The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...

. It was released as the third and final single from their third album, London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...

. The song was not originally listed on the album's track listing,d, e, f) Masters of pale pop Third Eye Blind recorded a weak sugar-coated, suburban hip-hop version in an ill-advised 'tribute' on Burning London: The Clash Tribute (1999), which is almost a disaster from start to finish. On the other hand, on her 1995 album Medusa, Annie Lennox manages to pull off what Third Eye Blind seemed to be attempting: a soulful, dance-beat cover of the song. The differences are that Lennox can actually sing and the production and arrangement are thought-out and well-crafted. In addition, Dwight Yoakam turns in a fine, countrified rendition on Under the Covers (1997).}} appearing as a secret track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...

 at the end of the album. This was because the track was added to the record at the last minute, when the sleeve was already in production. It was the first Clash song to crack the United States Top 30 charts and in 2004, the song was ranked number 292 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

 magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....

.

In the US, the song's title is expanded to "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)", the words "stand by me" dominate the chorus. It was titled "Train in Vain" in part to avoid confusion with Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...

's signature song "Stand by Me
Stand by Me (song)
"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...

".

Origins

The song was written in one night and recorded the next day, near the very end of the recording for London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...

. It was initially intended to be given away as a promotion with the British rock magazine New Musical Express.Related news articles:
"Train in Vain" was added after the deal for The Clash to write a song for an NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

flexi disc
Flexi disc
The flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...

 fell through, and as Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...

 commented, "The real story on 'Train in Vain' is that originally we needed a song to give to the NME for a flexi disk that NME was going to do. And then it was decided that it didn't work out or decided the flexi disk didn't work out so we had this spare track we had done as a giveaway. So we put it on London Calling but there wasn't time because the sleeves were already done."Related news articles: The result of its late addition was that it was the only song without lyrics printed on the insert, and was not listed as a track, although its presence is announced as the title and position on the original vinyl record was scratched into the vinyl in the needle run-off area on the fourth side of the album.

Meaning and inspiration

When London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...

was released, many fans assumed it was called "Stand by Me", but the meaning of the song's title is obscure as the title phrase cannot be found in the lyrics. Mick Jones, who wrote most of the song, offered this explanation: "The track was like a train rhythm, and there was, once again, that feeling of being lost."

"Train in Vain" is a love song, with an almost country-and-western lyric that echoes Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....

's classic, "Stand by Your Man
Stand By Your Man
"Stand by Your Man" is a song co-written by Tammy Wynette and Billy Sherrill and originally recorded by Tammy Wynette, released as a single in September 1968 in the USA...

". The guitar riff partly resembles that of J.J. Jackson's 1966 hit single "But It's Alright".

The song has been interpreted by some as a response to "Typical Girls" by The Slits
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up , who died of cancer in October 2010, and Palmolive , with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and...

, which mentions girls standing by their men. Mick Jones split up with Slits guitarist Viv Albertine
Viv Albertine
Viv Albertine is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the influential, all-female English punk group, The Slits....

 shortly before he wrote the song.

Cover versions

"Train in Vain" has become an influential and well-known Clash song, covered by artists as diverse as the British indie dance band EMF
EMF (band)
EMF were an indie dance band from the United Kingdom. The band, from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During its initial eight year run , EMF had released three studio albums and had gone on hiatus and reformed twice...

, the Brazilian rock band Ira!
Ira!
Ira! was a Brazilian rock band that was founded in São Paulo in the early 1980s...

 on their acoustic special for MTV Brasil
MTV Brasil
MTV Brasil is the Brazilian version of MTV, owned by Abril Mídia, the nation's largest magazine publisher, under license from Viacom - owned MTV Networks Latin AmericaMTV Brasil is one of two versions of MTV available in free-to-air terrestrial television...

 in 2004, where the song was titled "Pra ficar comigo", the blues-oriented hard rock jam band The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...

, the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...

, or the Swedish indie rock band Shout Out Louds
Shout Out Louds
Shout Out Louds are an indie rock band from Stockholm, Sweden.The group has toured with bands such as The Strokes, Kings of Leon, The Magic Numbers, The Rosebuds, The Essex Green, and Johnossi...

.

Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...

 recorded a soulful, dance-beat cover of the song on her 1995 album Medusa
Medusa (Annie Lennox album)
Medusa is the second solo album by the Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released in March 1995. It consists solely of cover songs, all originally recorded by male artists. It entered the UK album chart at No. 1 and peaked in the US at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. It has...

. The American country music singer and songwriter Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...

 did a country version on his 1997 album Under the Covers
Under the Covers (Dwight Yoakam album)
Under the Covers is a 1997 album of cover songs recorded by Dwight Yoakam. It peaked at No. 8 on Billboards Top Country Albums chart, and No...

. The band Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...

 recorded a version for the 1999 tribute album Burning London: The Clash Tribute
Burning London: The Clash Tribute
- External links :* Neva Chonin, Aidin Vaziri, Colin Berry, Gary Graff, David Wiegand, Dan Ouellette, Amanda Nowinski . . Collection. SFGate.* Keith Phipps . . Review. The A.V. Club.* Scott Schinder . . Pulse....

. The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs were a soul-influenced American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. PopMatters described the band as "beyond simple genre categorization, and though lauded by the music press, never got their just due."-Band history:...

, who covered "Lost in the Supermarket
Lost in the Supermarket
"Lost in the Supermarket" is a 1979 song by The Clash. Written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones and produced by Guy Stevens, it is credited to the Strummer/Jones songwriting partnership. It was released on their third studio album London Calling. It is the eighth song on the track listing...

" on the same album, added portions of "Train In Vain" and the Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...

 song "Stand By Me
Stand by Me (song)
"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...

" to their contribution.

"Stupid Girl", a song released by the US rock group Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...

 in 1996, is musically built around the drum rhythm from "Train in Vain". Both Joe Strummer and Mick Jones received a co-writing credit and royalties from the song under its original release. In 2007, when the song was remastered for the band's greatest hits album, the credit for the song was expanded to include Paul Simonon and Topper Headon.

"Train in Vain" was played frequently, in addition to many other Clash songs, by The Max Weinberg 7 on US late night talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...

. New York City hardcore punk band H2O (American Band)
H2O (American band)
-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...

 also covered "Train In Vain" in 2011 for their cover cd Don't Forget Your Roots
Don't Forget Your Roots
"Don't Forget Your Roots" is a single by New Zealand rock band Six60. It was released as on 18 July 2011 as the second single from their self-titled debut studio album...

.

Media appearances

This song (along with "London Calling", "The Guns of Brixton
The Guns of Brixton
"The Guns of Brixton" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, south London...

", and "Clampdown
Clampdown
Strummer, like Simonon, spent time on the dole, but Strummer did not come from a lower-class family. In the same interview with the LA Times Strummer said,...

") was performed on The Clash's debut television appearance in the United States, on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

's Fridays.

In the 2009 film, (500) Days of Summer, Tom Hansen (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....

), the lead character, drunkenly performs "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" at a karaoke bar with a blind date. The song is thematically consistent with Hansen's situation, in which his girlfriend, Summer Finn (played by Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...

), abruptly breaks up with him.

It also appeared in The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...

episode "Transitions" and in the film You, Me, and Dupree. It was also used on the eighth season of Dancing With the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

, performed by Ty Murray
Ty Murray
Ty Monroe Murray is a nine-time World Champion rodeo cowboy and co-founder and board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders.-Early life:...

 and Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower is a Latin ballroom dancer, who is best known for being a regular dance partner, trainer, and choreographer on the ABC competition show Dancing with the Stars.-Biography:...

 to a Cha Cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...

.

"Train in Vain" appeared on the skate video Almost: Round Three
Almost: Round Three
Almost: Round Three is a skateboarding video released on DVD in 2004 by Rodney Mullen's skateboard company Almost.-History:It features the third part of the Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song series, the first two of which are included on this DVD as hidden extras...

during Rodney Mullen
Rodney Mullen
John Rodney Mullen is a professional freestyle and street skateboarder. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential street skaters in the history of skateboarding...

's part. It is also featured on the soundtrack of the video game NCAA Football 2006, as well as being available as a downloadable track in the Rock Band game.

Formats and track listings

"Train in Vain" was released in mainland Europe as a 33 rpm single in June 1980 (catalogue number CBS 8370) and included the tracks "Bankrobber
Bankrobber
"Bankrobber" is a song, and single by The Clash. The song was not released on any of their studio albums, instead appearing on their compilation Black Market Clash...

" and "Rockers Galore... UK Tour". In the UK, "Train in vain" was not released as a single at the time, only "Bankrobber
Bankrobber
"Bankrobber" is a song, and single by The Clash. The song was not released on any of their studio albums, instead appearing on their compilation Black Market Clash...

" and "Rockers Galore... UK Tour" were released on 7" single in August 1980 (catalogue number CBS 8323). The song was released in the US as a 10" white label promo in 1979 (catalogue number AS 749). The US commercial release of 12 February 1980 (catalogue number 50851) consisted of a 7" that included the track "London Calling
London Calling (song)
"London Calling" is a song by the British punk rock band The Clash. It was released as a single from the band's 1979 double album London Calling...

". The 1991 UK re-release (catalogue number 657430 7) included the track "The Right Profile". The formats and track listings of "Train in Vain (Stand By Me)" are tabulated below:
Year B-side Format Label Country Note
1979
  1. "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" – 3:10
33⅓ rpm 10" vinyl Epic AS 749 USA Promo
1980
  • "London Calling
    London Calling (song)
    "London Calling" is a song by the British punk rock band The Clash. It was released as a single from the band's 1979 double album London Calling...

    "
  • 45 rpm 7" vinyl Epic 50851 USA
    1980
  • "Bankrobber
    Bankrobber
    "Bankrobber" is a song, and single by The Clash. The song was not released on any of their studio albums, instead appearing on their compilation Black Market Clash...

    " – 4:33
  • "Rockers Galore... UK Tour" – 4:39
  • 33⅓ rpm 7" vinyl CBS 8370 Europe
    1991
  • "The Right Profile" – 3:51
  • 45 rpm 7" vinyl Columbia 657430 7 UK Reissue
    1991
  • "The Right Profile" – 3:55
  • "Train In Vain ('91 7" Remix)" – 3:02
  • "Death or Glory" – 3:56
  • CD Columbia 657430 5 UK Reissue


    "Train in Vain" also features on The Clash albums: The Story of the Clash, Volume 1
    The Story of the Clash, Volume 1
    The Story of the Clash, Vol. 1 is a double-disc compilation album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released with 28 tracks on 29 February 1988 through Epic Records. The compilation presents a relatively thorough overview of their career . An anticipated second volume was to have...

    (1988), Clash on Broadway
    Clash on Broadway
    -Track listing:All songs written by Mick Jones and Joe Strummer except where noted otherwise.-Disc one:# "Janie Jones" — 2:11# "Career Opportunities" — 1:58#* early demo versions produced by Guy Stevens# "White Riot" — 1:59# "1977" — 1:41...

    (1991), The Singles (1991), From Here to Eternity: Live
    From Here to Eternity: Live
    From Here to Eternity: Live is a live album by English punk rock band The Clash. It was released on 4 October 1999. The songs were recorded at different shows. Some of the recordings featured also appear in the movie Rude Boy...

    (1999) (live version recorded on 13 June 1981 at Bond's Casino, New York), The Essential Clash
    The Essential Clash
    The Essential Clash is a career-spanning greatest hits album by The Clash first released in 2003. It is part of the on-going 'The Essential' Sony BMG compilation series...

    (2003), Singles Box
    Singles Box
    Singles Box is a compilation album by The Clash. Included within is all the singles that they released in the UK , with the single mixes and edits with the B-sides released, and also containing B-sides from different parts of the world.The discs are packaged in a sleeve which reproduces the...

    (2006) (disc eleven — Spanish 7" issue), and The Singles (2007).

    Charts

    EWLINE
    Chart Peak
    position
    Date
    UK Singles Chart
    UK Singles Chart
    The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

    4
    US Billboard
    Billboard (magazine)
    Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

    Hot 100
    23
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