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| "Down by the Station" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Written | 1948 |
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Mills,Slim Gaillard |
"Down by the Station" (also known as "Down at the Station") is a popular song written by Paul Mills andSlim Gaillard and first recorded by The Slim Gaillard Trio in 1947.[1] The song was most famously recorded byTommy Dorsey in 1948.
"Station" remains popular today as achildren's music standard, a simple song about a railroad station master seeing the steam locomotives off to work. The lyrics are:
Down by the station early in the morning,
See the little pufferbellies all in a row.
See the engine driver pull the little handle,
Puff, puff, Toot! Toot! Off we go.
The song itself predates 1948; it was reportedly seen in a 1931 issue ofRecreation.[2]
Whether deliberately copied or not, the melody of "Down by the Station" is closely related to the chorus of theFrench-Canadian folk song "Alouette".[3][better source needed] Some have pointed out that though the first line is similar to "Alouette", it is closer to the tune of "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," with the first two lines being similar.[original research?] The third line of "Down By the Station" is higher in pitch than the second, and the fourth line returns to the pitch of the first line (except for a higher pitched or onomatopoetic "Toot! Toot!").[original research?]
