Creedence Online Forum

Go Back   Creedence Online Forum > Albums, Songs and Concerts

Notices

Albums, Songs and Concerts Here we discuss our impression of CCR albums, songs and concerts, as well as the songs meaning

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 31.07.2003, 09:16
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

What is a 'Midnight Special'?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01.08.2003, 23:25
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

rock and roll
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03.08.2003, 17:17
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

It's a train.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09.08.2003, 22:05
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I believe the Midnight Special was train that would transport a prisoner's woman who would try and procure the inmate's freedom from governor. Also, I believe the prison thought that if the light shined on them while coming down the line, it had some bearing on whether they would be released. I'm currently trying to confirm the history of this song. So if anyone has any further information, please post it.

Rav3n
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 20.08.2003, 02:06
Prisoner of the Porch Prisoner of the Porch is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 10
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Rep Power: 0
Prisoner of the Porch is infamous around these parts
Default

All I know it is was written by Leadbelly in the 30's I believe.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 22.08.2003, 00:08
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In the version of Lead Belly, the Midnight Special is a train “The Golden Gate Ltd, between Houston and San Francisco that on his way passes in front of the Texas State Prison in Sugarland, where Lead Belly was in prison..

In the version of Big Joe Turner it’s also a train, that, on a saturday, used to bring whores to well behave prisoners.
It was one of the most popular prisonsong in the south of the States, especially after a prisonrebellion in 1923 in Houston. The song in fact has to be much older, the copyright from Howard Odum dates from 1911.
Another prisonsong ‘If you ever go to Jackson”, uses the same melody.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 30.08.2003, 05:23
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Slightly OT but still on. Tonight on the way home I heard Buckwheat Zydeco's version of the song. Now I know that CCR's Midnight Special was was used in a movie but I cannot remeber which movie it was to save my soul. I just remeber that it was near the end of the movie, Anyone remember the film?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09.09.2003, 04:13
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

kool hand luke
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 27.03.2004, 02:52
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

The song was written during prohibition by a man serving time in a local jail in Newport News, Virginia. The "midnight special" was a police car, outfitted with a spot light. The "man" would drive up and down the allyways looking for illegal nip joints and such. He would use his search "light" to find illegal drinking and nip joints. The song was origionally written as (Don't) let the midnight special, shine its light on me! This is because if it did, you would be caught, busted and sent up to face "the man". So one did not want the "midnight special" to shine it's light on me. The man who origionally wrote the lyrics to this song sold them while still incarcerated. To do more research, search the archives of The Daily Press newspaper in Newport News Va. The did a article on this about 15 years ago. John Jones email: [email][vapnut@hotmail.com]
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07.08.2005, 10:22
Anonymous
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

The Midnight Special is a train. "Shine a light on me" is a reference to sitting on the tracks and waiting for the train to come and end one's life. It is a song about Suicide.

Also, I believe that "Midnight Special" was in the movie Creepshow.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
midnight, special

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +4. The time now is 00:04.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by YABBSEO v1.1