Long Black Train (4:11)

Ah, the song that started it all . . .

One night while studying late at Belmont University’s library, Josh Turner came across some old Hank Williams recordings. After listening intently to the records on into the wee hours of the morning and becoming very moved by the music, Josh Turner had a religious vision of a huge, shiny black train that was unloading and loading passengers. This metaphor, which Josh Turner interpreted to symbolize temptation, would become the inspiration for “Long Black Train.” Turner wrote the song in one sitting when he returned to his room. December 2001 he aired the song for the first time at a radio broadcast of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, where he was showered with several standing ovations.

In 2003, Turner first full-length album, Long Black Train, was driven up the U.S. Country Albums chart by the title track’s immense popularity. Josh Turner received plenty of attention on the national stage after Long Black Train, including a nomination for a CMA award for Song of the Year.