| Cover | Tom Waits - Downtown Train.jpg |
|---|---|
| Artist | Tom Waits |
| Album | Rain Dogs |
| B-side | Tango Till They're Sore |
| Released | November 1985 |
| Studio | RCA (New York City) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:53 |
| Label | Island |
| Writer | Tom Waits |
| Producer | Tom Waits |
| Prev year | 1985 |
| Next year | 1987 |
"Downtown Train" is a song by Tom Waits released on his album Rain Dogs in 1985. The promo video, which was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and produced by Andrea Ambandos, was filmed in black and white and features a cameo appearance by boxer Jake LaMotta.[3] Several musical artists have charted with their covers of "Downtown Train", including Rod Stewart, Patty Smyth, and Bob Seger.
Personnel
- Tom Waits – vocals, guitar
- Michael Blair – percussion
- Robert Quine – guitar
- G. E. Smith – guitar
- Mickey Curry – drums
- Tony Levin – bass
- Robby Kilgore – organ
Rod Stewart version
| Cover | Downtowntrainrodstewart.jpg |
|---|---|
| Artist | Rod Stewart |
| Album | The Best of Rod Stewart |
| Released | November 1989 |
| Length | 4:40 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Writer | Tom Waits |
| Producer | Trevor Horn[2] |
| Prev year | 1989 |
| Next year | 1990 |
Rod Stewart recorded a cover version that became a number-three hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after being released as a single in late 1989, and was also a number-one single on the album rock and adult contemporary charts. The song went to number one in Canada and made the top ten on the UK Singles Chart in 1990. Stewart received a Grammy nomination for the song in the category Best Male Pop Vocal performance.[4] Originally released as a non-album single, Stewart's version of "Downtown Train" was included on some editions of his 1991 album Vagabond Heart.
Other recordings
Bob Seger also recorded a version of "Downtown Train" in 1989 before Rod Stewart recorded his version. Seger claimed that on a trip to London he told Rod Stewart he had recorded a version of "Downtown Train" and then one month later Rod Stewart recorded his version. Rod Stewart and his management have denied that Rod Stewart stole the idea from Bob Seger. Seger decided not to release his version in 1989 as originally planned but instead re-recorded it in 2011 for his album Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets.[5]
Patty Smyth released a version in 1987 that reached number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100. The promo video for the song was directed by David Fincher.[citation needed]
Everything but the Girl's acoustic cover, also recorded in 1989 and later put on the reissue of The Language of Life, was used for the climactic scene of the 2014's final episode of the long-running series How I Met Your Mother. Music supervisor Andy Gowan says that Carter Bays "basically put it in the script, and wrote that script with that song in mind"; Gowan described the song as "heartbreakingly beautiful" and captured both the "sweet and romantic" and the "somber, dark part" of the scene.[6]
Charts
Patty Smyth version
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|
Rod Stewart version
Weekly charts
| Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[7] | 25 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] | 16 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] | 25 |
| European Airplay (Music & Media)[10] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[11] | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] | 5 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[13] | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 37 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] | 18 |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[16] | 18 |
Bob Seger version
Weekly charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[17] | 46 |
See also
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1990
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1990 (U.S.)
- List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1990s
- List of train songs
References
- ^ "The 30 Best Tom Waits Songs". Spin. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ "Rod Stewart - Downtown Train/The Killing of Georgie (Part I And II)". 45cat.com. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- ^ "Downtown Shoot". Billboard. February 15, 1986. p. 41. Retrieved October 29, 2025. – via World Radio History.
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 355.
- ^ "Bob Seger to Debut 'Downtown Train' Single Monday". Billboard
- ^ Lee, Ashley (April 1, 2014). "'How I Met Your Mother' Series Finale: The Story Behind the Music (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived August 13, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 10. March 10, 1990. p. V. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish). 1st ed. Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 10. 10 March 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ^ "European Airplay Top 50". Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 11. 17 March 1990. p. III. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 9, 1990" (in dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved April 9, 2019. – via Library and Archives Canada
- ^ "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved April 9, 2019. – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Year-End Charts: Adult Contemporary Songs 1990". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "The Year in Music 1990: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. YE-47.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
External links
- [ AllMusic.com track review]