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Peace Train

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Peace Train"
German vinyl single
Single by Cat Stevens
from the album Teaser and the Firecat
B-side
Released
  • 1971 (worldwide)
  • September 1971 (US)
RecordedMarch 1971
StudioMorgan, Willesden, London
Genre
Length
  • 4:12 (album version)
  • 3:45 (single version)
Label
SongwriterCat Stevens
ProducerPaul Samwell-Smith
Cat Stevens singles chronology
"Moonshadow"
(1971)		 "Peace Train"
(1971)		 "Morning Has Broken"
(1972)

"Peace Train" is a 1971 song by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, taken from his album Teaser and the Firecat. The song climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of November 6, 1971, becoming Stevens' first US Top 10 hit.[3] The song also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart.[4] It has been featured on several compilations, including the 1975 Greatest Hits album.

Stevens re-recorded the song for the charity War Child in 2003.

Record World called it a "beautiful follow-up to 'Moonshadow' and 'Wild World' [sic]" and praised the "delightful production."[5]

In the album version, the instrumental ending features a string section which drops out leaving the solo acoustic guitar playing of Cat Stevens, before the song's fade.

History

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In a concert during the 1970s, he introduced the song with the revelation that he wrote the song whilst on a train, and was thinking about Alfred Hitchcock, no doubt reflecting the fact that many of Alfred Hitchcock's film plots were set on trains.

Cat Stevens later converted to Islam, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and significantly reduced his public appearances, but during the Iraq War he commented on the song's renewed relevance, saying: "'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions. There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again. As a member of humanity and as a Muslim, this is my contribution to the call for a peaceful solution."[6]

Stevens performed the song live at the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert ceremony when Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh received the award.[7] The interlude during the song where the background singers chant "Kumbayaba" was removed for this version. He also performed the song as part of a comedic skit at Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity, along with Ozzy Osbourne[8], and at the New Zealand national remembrance service for the Christchurch mosque shootings, held at Hagley Park on 29 March 2019.[9]

Teaming up with Playing for Change, in 2021 Yusuf/Cat Stevens recorded a new version of "Peace Train" with over 25 musicians from 12 countries.[10]

Chart history

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Cover versions

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Aside from Stevens' original recording, a cover version of "Peace Train" was recorded by the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. The song originally appeared on the band's 1987 album, In My Tribe, but it failed to chart. After Stevens' comment, which some interpreted as calling for the death of Salman Rushdie, 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant had "Peace Train" removed from all future pressings of the album in the U.S.[19]

In 1995, a cover of "Peace Train" was included on the Don Williams CD Borrowed Tales. In 1996, Dolly Parton included a version of "Peace Train",[20] accompanied by South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, on her album of covers Treasures. Parton produced a CBS television special, airing in November 1996, to promote the album, in which she described "Peace Train" as a personal favorite. The special also included a brief interview of Yusuf Islam, describing how he came to write the song. (Islam later joined Parton on a cover of another of his songs, "Where Do the Children Play?", playing guitar on the track for her 2005 album Those Were the Days). In 1997, Parton released the song as a single and filmed a music video, directed by Christopher Ciccone, brother of entertainer Madonna.[21] The single was a hit on the US Dance chart peaking at No. 23.[22]

The song has also been covered by Tony Meléndez in 1987, Jann Arden in 2007, Zain Bhikha[23] in 2008, Laleh, Richie Havens, Melanie, Sam Harris, and Rob Tobias and Friends. The song was also remixed by the DJ Junior Vasquez.

The song has appeared in the films The War, Remember the Titans, Ordinary Magic, We Are Marshall, and Jobs. Richie Havens's cover was included in the soundtrack of The Wonder Years TV series.

"Peace Train", along with several other Cat Stevens songs, appeared in the 2015 American comedy film Rock the Kasbah.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  2. ↑ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (October 15, 1996). "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?: Utopian Pop". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 75. ISBN 031214704X.
  3. ↑ "Hot 100 - Week of November 6, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  5. ↑ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 18, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  6. ↑ "Peace Train is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions". Izquotes.com. 1948-07-21. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  7. ↑ "Stjernene hyllet Yunus" (in Norwegian). Verdens gang. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Golsen, Tyler (2023-10-16). "Cat Stevens and Ozzy Osbourne's most bizarre duet in history". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
  9. ↑ "Cat Stevens/Yusuf delivers powerful performance at memorial for terrorist attack victims - 'May peace be upon them'". TVNZ. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  10. ↑ Blistein, Jon (September 21, 2021). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens Takes His 'Peace Train' Around the World in New Performance Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  11. ↑ "RPM AC Singles - October 9, 1971" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 27, 1971" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "Flavour of New Zealand, 14 February 1972". Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  14. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  15. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, November 20, 1971 Archived August 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  16. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. ↑ "RPM 100 Top Singles of '71 - January 8, 1972" (PDF).
  18. ↑ Billboard, December 25, 1971.
  19. ↑ "10,000 Maniacs Build 'Campfire' Collection". Billboard. 19 December 2003. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  20. ↑ "Treasures". Discogs. 1996. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  21. ↑ Ciccone, Christopher (2008). Life with My Sister Madonna, New York: Simon & Schuster, p. 248
  22. ↑ "Dolly Parton - Chart history". Billboard. 1997-09-27. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  23. ↑ "Raise Your Voice". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  24. ↑ Corn, David (2015-10-20). "How Cat Stevens Made Bill Murray's New Film Happen". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
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