What does the phrase Midnight Special mean?
What does the phrase Midnight Special mean?
“Midnight Special” is a traditional folk song thought to have originated among prisoners in the American South. The song refers to the passenger train Midnight Special and its “ever-loving light” (sometimes “ever-living light”).
Who wrote Midnight Special lyrics?
The Midnight Special was a passenger train which ran at night. Some say that folk and blues musician Lead Belly wrote and popularized it after his release from Sugar Land prison in Texas, but in fact it was an adaptation of a song he had heard during his incarceration in the early 1920s.
Who wrote Midnight Special Song original?
In 1934 Huddie William ‘Lead Belly’ Ledbetter recorded a version of the song at Angola Prison for John and Alan Lomax, who mistakenly attributed it to him as the author. Ledbetter recorded at least three versions of the song, including one in 1940 with the Golden Gate Quartet, a gospel group.
Was the Midnight Special A train?
The Midnight Special was the name of a passenger train formerly operated by the Chicago and Alton Railroad and its successor, the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The train departed Union Station in St. Louis, Missouri, at 11:30 p.m. nightly and arrived at Union Station in Chicago, Illinois, at 7 a.m. the following day.
Who sings Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me?
Creedence Clearwater RevivalThe Midnight Special / Artist
Who wrote Black Betty?
Lead BellyBlack Betty / Lyricist
What are altons powers?
Practical eyewear. Alton’s powers go askew when he is exposed to sunlight, causing earthquake-like rumblings and explosions. As a result, he sleeps during the day, and wears noise-canceling headphones and goggles when awake.
Is Midnight Special Based on a true story?
sci-fi flick Midnight Special, about a father on the run with his 8-year-old son after discovering his child has special powers, was inspired by Jeff Nichols true-life crisis of his child’s illness, the director revealed Friday.
What does Leadbelly ask the midnight special do for him?
A traditional folk song, Leadbelly popularized it upon his release from Sugar Land prison in Texas, where he could hear the Midnight Special come through. In the song, the light of the train gives the inmates hope: if it shines on them they take it as a sign they will soon go free.