Two Trains Running

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

So far as is known, the Dead did this only twice, on 27 February 1970 and on 15 December 1971. On both occasions, Pigpen inserted a fragment into Lovelight. The 1970 version is slightly the more extensive of the two (thanks to Dan Franzen for this):

Well there's two trains running
Two trains running my way
One leaves around midnight
The other leave right about [?] day
Yes it did

And the daylight train in the morning
Gonna bring my baby back home
Daylight train in the morning
Darling gonna bring my rider back home
Ain�t nobody gonna stop it

The 1971 version is only one verse:

Well there's two trains a-coming
Two trains coming
One comes around midnight
Other one comes by day

Origins

The best-known recording under this title is probably that by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, credited on the album to "Davis". But it seems that the originas go back to early Muddy Waters and probably before that.

The lyrics of the Paul Butterfield version are:

Well there's two trains running
But there's not one going my way
Yeah one runs at midnight
Other's just for day
Other's just for day
Other's just for day

I went down to my baby's house
And I sat down on her steps
She said come on in here baby
My old man just left
Yeah just now left
My old man just left

Yes I wish I was a catfish
Swimming in the deep blue sea
I'd have all you pretty women
Fishing after me
Fishing after me
Fishing after me

Well she's long and she's tall
And she shakes just like a willow tree
You say she's no good
But she's all right with me
She's all right with me
She's all right with me
She's all right with me

Little girl's all right, all right with me
She give me loving in the morning
[etc]

The Muddy Waters version was originally recorded in 1951 under the title "Still A Fool". Thans to Anita Cantor for alerting me to this, and pointing me to a Rob Quinn transcription of the lyrics. According to Anita, Muddy Waters also recorded it with different lyrics under the title "She's All Right"

The Muddy Waters lyrics are:

Well now there's two
There's two trains runnin'
Well ain't not one, (ho!) goin' my way
Well now one run at midnight
And the other one runnin' just 'fore day
A runnin' just 'fore day
It's runnin' just 'fore day
Oh Lord
Sure 'nough then
Oh well

Hmm, (ho) (ho)
Somebody help me (ho) with these blues
Well now, she's the one I'm lovin'
She the one I do hate to lose
I do hate to lose
I do hate to lose
Oh Lord
Sure enough I do
Oh well

I been crazy
Yes I been a fool
I been crazy, oh all my life
Well I done fell in love with her
With another man's wife
With another man's wife
With another man's wife
Oh Lord
Sure 'nough I done
Oh well

Long, she's long and tall
'Til she weeps like a willow tree
Well now, then say she's no good
But she's all right
She's all right with me
She's all right
She's all right
She's all right
She's all right

Recordings
None by the Dead.

The Paul Butterfield version is on "East West". The Muddy Waters' song "Still A Fool" is on lots of his anthologies.

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography