Morningtown Ride

"Morningtown Ride" is a lullaby,^[2] written and performed by Malvina Reynolds in 1957, and covered by a number of artists. It tells the comforting story of the journey through nighttime made by all the "little travellers" (children), on board a train, with the Sandman as guard.^[3]

The Seekers version

The song was performed by The Seekers with Bobby Richards and his Orchestra on the 1964 album Hide and Seekers (W&G Records WG-B-2362).^[4] It was subsequently re-recorded and released as a single in 1966 (Columbia DB 8060),^[5] produced by Tom Springfield.^[6]

The song spent 15 weeks on the UK's Record Retailer chart, reaching No. 2 on 28 December 1966.^[5] In the United States, the song spent 7 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 44,^[7] while reaching No. 13 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.^[8][9] The song also reached No. 2 on the Irish Singles Chart,^[10] No. 4 in Malaysia,^[11] and No. 9 in South Africa.^[12]

Other versions

• It was sung by The Limeliters, an American singing group led by Glenn Yarbrough, and appears on their 1962 album Through Children's Eyes.^[13] RCA Victor LSP 2512 (stereo), RCA Victor LPM 2512 (mono)
• Reynolds herself recorded it on her 1970 album Artichokes, Griddle Cakes, and Other Good Things (Pacific Cascade Records LP-7018).^[14]
• It was also recorded by The Flanagans in 1964.
• Country Four, a Swedish grop, made a Swedish version, Vägen till morgonstad (1967).
• The Irish Rovers recorded versions of the song, which were released on the 1972 album The Irish Rovers Live and the 1976 album Children of the Unicorn. In 1973, The Irish Rovers' version reached No. 83 on Canada's RPM 100^[15] and No. 39 on RPM's Adult Contemporary Playlist.^[16]
• Bob McGrath sang this song on the Sesame Street album, Bert & Ernie Sing-Along.
• Raffi sang this song on his 1980 album Baby Beluga (Rounder).^[17]
• Brendan Grace recorded a version of the song, which reached No. 25 on the Irish Singles Chart on 6 January 1985.^[10]
• The Wiggles and Jimmy Little sang this song on their 2000 album It's a Wiggly Wiggly World (Lyons Group).^[18]
• Genevieve Jereb sang this song on her 2004 album, Cool Bananas (Gellybean Records).
• Erkki Liikanen recorded a Finnish language version, "Matka Aamun Kaupunkiin", in 1967.^[19]
• Annette Hodgson performed this as the character Noelene in The Sapphires.^[20]
• A largely instrumental version, recorded by Stan Butcher, from his 1966 album His Birds and Brass, was used as theme tune to the weekly Saturday morning BBC Radio 1 programme Junior Choice presented by Ed Stewart.^[21]

References