Cross-Tie Walker
Background
"Cross-Tie Walker" is an album track on Green River, the third long-player of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The train song was written by John Fogerty and recorded and released in summer 1969.
Besides the title track, "Cross-Tie Walker" is another Green River song that originates from the childhood memories of John Fogerty. The Fogerty family was stopped in their car, at a Railroad Crossing somewhere in Montana, and a long train passed by. John's dad made a point of telling John that the engine was one of those very old and rare engines that he probably won’t see much anymore. It was a steam engine from by-gone days and this romantic and mythic vision has inspired John Fogerty throughout his life (John Fogerty on his Twitter page, November 2011).
The phrase "Cross-tie Walker" was invented by Fogerty. It's about hoboes catching trains. There was a camp for hoboes outside Healdsburg, California, where John had a summer resort job (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).
Trivia
Fogerty borrowed the song's descending bass riff in his later work, "Big Train (From Memphis)".
Live versions
John Fogerty rarely plays "Cross-Tie Walker" in concerts. It was heard for the first time in Vienna, Austria, on July 13th, 2010. He also performed the song on a couple of subsequent gigs during the next few days, ie. in Salzburg, Austria and Leipzig, Germany.
Fogerty also delivered the song in the premiere Green River album concert at Beacon Theatre in New York on November 18th, 2011. The show was broadcast live by Sirius XM radio. Concert goers heard "Cross-Tie Walker" also on the Australian tour in the following spring.
Critical reception
"-- it's just a good old-fashioned rocker, and it's adorned by some working grooves, like the marvelous descending riff ending in two drum plates crashes after each verse. Danceable, too." -George Starostin.
"'Cross-Tie Walker' is another testament to the band’s technical skill, with a great prominent bass line courtesy of Stu Cook and the always steady drumming and rhythm guitar of Doug Clifford and Tom Fogerty, respectively." -Sputnik Music, June 28th, 2008
"A quintessential Johnny Cash two-step with a nifty bassline and a tale about a hobo opping a train and starting a new life." -Uncut, February 2012.
Fans' views
"I love rockabilly, the great intro and the Santa Fe line!"
"The best of the less known Fogerty songs."
Written by John C. Fogerty.
Recorded at Studio C, Wally Heider Recording, San Francisco, CA, USA, on July 9th, 1969.
Appears on Green River album.
Released on August 5th, 1969.