About the Song
There are songs that define an era, and then there are songs that transcend it. “Freight Train” by Elizabeth Cotten is one of those rare treasures—a gentle, lilting piece of American folk music that carries within it the weight of memory, resilience, and quiet genius. Written in the early 1900s, when Cotten was just a young girl growing up in North Carolina, the song would go on to become one of the most enduring and influential pieces in the American folk canon. And yet, it comes not from a commercial powerhouse or a polished studio, but from the hands of a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played her instrument upside down and backward.
Elizabeth Cotten was not a household name when she wrote “Freight Train.” In fact, her remarkable talent went largely unrecognized for decades, as she lived a quiet life, working as a domestic helper. It wasn’t until she was in her 60s, while working for the musical Seeger family, that her extraordinary ability was discovered and shared with the world. What followed was a late-blooming career that inspired generations of musicians—from folk legends to fingerstyle guitarists—who recognized the depth and purity of her artistry.
“Freight Train” is deceptively simple. With its soft melody and repetitive phrasing, it feels almost like a lullaby. But within its unassuming structure lies something much richer: a yearning for escape, a meditation on impermanence, and a child’s wistful dream of watching the world roll by from the back of a train. The fingerpicking pattern, now famously known as “Cotten picking,” forms the heartbeat of the song—steady, soothing, and unmistakably her own. Every note feels hand-carved, every chord quietly profound.
What makes “Freight Train” so moving is its humility. It doesn’t demand attention—it earns it. It speaks to the soul without fanfare, drawing the listener in not with grand declarations, but with a tender honesty that’s increasingly rare in music today. It reminds us of the power of simplicity, of storytelling without spectacle, and of the deep emotional truths that can live in a few carefully chosen words and a softly played guitar.
To listen to Elizabeth Cotten is to hear history—not in the distant, dusty sense, but as something alive, breathing, and resonant. “Freight Train” isn’t just a folk song. It’s a legacy, a prayer, and a quiet revolution—all wrapped in under three minutes of music that continues to roll on, as steady and enduring as the train she once dreamed of.