500 Miles - wikipedia 500 Miles For the Proclaimers song, see I 'm Gonna Be ( 500 Miles ). `` 500 Miles '' ( also known as `` 500 Miles Away from Home '' or `` Railroaders ' Lament '' ) is a song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveller who is far from home, out of money and too ashamed to return. Contents 1 History 2 Bobby Bare version 3 Chart history 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 4 Other cover versions 5 In other languages 6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History The song is generally credited as being written by Hedy West, and a 1961 copyright is held by Atzal Music, Inc. `` 500 Miles '' is West 's `` most anthologized song. '' Some recordings have also credited Curly Williams, or John Phillips as co-writers. David Neale writes that `` 500 Miles '' may be related to the older folk song `` 900 Miles '', which may itself have origins in the southern American fiddle tunes `` Reuben 's Train '' and `` Train 45 ''. Bobby Bare version `` 500 Miles Away From Home '' Single by Bobby Bare from the album 500 Miles Away From Home B - side `` It All Depends on Linda '' Released September 1963 Format 7 '' single Genre Country, Easy Listening Label RCA Victor Songwriter ( s ) Hedy West Bobby Bare singles chronology `` Detroit City '' ( 1963 ) `` 500 Miles Away From Home '' ( 1963 ) `` Miller 's Cave '' ( 1964 ) `` Detroit City '' ( 1963 ) `` 500 Miles Away From Home '' ( 1963 ) `` Miller 's Cave '' ( 1964 ) The most commercially successful version of the song was Bobby Bare 's in 1963. His version became a Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, as well as a Top 5 hit on both the Country and Adult Contemporary charts. Chart history Weekly charts Chart ( 1963 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 10 US Billboard Adult Contemporary US Billboard Country 5 US Cash Box Top 100 15 Year - end charts Chart ( 1963 ) Rank US Billboard Hot 100 100 Other cover versions The song appears on the 1961 eponymous debut album by The Journeymen ; this may have been its first release. The song was heard on the February, 1962 Kingston Trio live album College Concert ( a 1962 US # 3 ). It was further popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary, who included the song on their debut album in May 1962. American country music singer Bobby Bare recorded a version with new lyrics, which became a hit single in 1963. Dick and Dee Dee released a version of the song on their 1964 album, Turn Around. The song was covered by Sonny & Cher on their 1965 album Look at Us. This version was played over the credits of the 1966 BBC TV film Cathy Come Home. The lyrics feature heavily in the Bob Dylan song `` I Was Young When I Left Home. '' The Hooters recorded a version of this song with additional lyrics, dedicated to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. It goes : `` A hundred tanks along the square, one man stands and stops them there. Some day soon, the tide will turn, and I 'll be free. '' It has also been recorded by Terry Callier, Lonnie Donegan, the Brothers Four, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, Reba McEntire, Jackie DeShannon, The Seekers, Elvis Presley, The Highwaymen, The Seldom Scene, Nick Cave, Richard Anthony, Franco Battiato, Rosanne Cash, Bad Astronaut, Peter and Gordon, Eric Bibb, Hootenanny Singers, the innocence mission, Joan Baez, Takako Matsu, Justin Timberlake, The Persuasions, Teske and many others. Recently, the song has been recorded by Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Stark Sands for the soundtrack of the film Inside Llewyn Davis. The Jukebox Band sing this song in the Shining Time Station episode Stacy Cleans Up, with an up - beat pop music. In other languages This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2017 ) Richard Anthony had a hit with a French version of the song, `` Et j'entends siffler le train '' ( English : `` I Hear the Whistle of the Train '' ). It reached number - one in France in 1962. In 1963 a German version, `` Und dein Zug fährt durch die Nacht '' ( English : `` And Your Train Goes Through the Night '' ), was a success for Peter Beil. Also in German, Santiano in 2012 released a marine - themed version, `` 500 Meilen '', on their album Bis ans Ende der Welt. The 1968 Swedish release by The Hootenanny Singers is titled `` Så länge du älskar är du ung '' ( English : `` As Long As You Love, You 're Young '' ). In 1967 Waldemar Matuška and Helena Vondráčková made a Czech cover named `` Tisíc mil '' ( 1000 Miles ), which was smash hit in that year. An Assamese version, `` Ketiyaba Bejarote '', by singer Jayanta Hazarika exists, which is about a son missing his mother who is far away from him. The song was released in 1970 - 80s. There is an Indian Hindi version called `` Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye '' from the movie Jurm ( 1990 ) sung by Kumar Sanu and Sadhana Sargam. Bengali singer Anjan Dutt sung the song in Bengali called `` Mr. Hall '' in his 1997 album Keu Gaan Gaye. The Japanese duo Wink included it as the B - side of their 1989 single 淋しい 熱帯魚 ( Samishii Nettaigyo ), under the title 背中 まで 500 マイル ( Senaka Made 500 Mairu ; 500 Miles Back ). The Slovene singer Lado Leskovar wrote a 1965 hit based on the song titled `` Poslednji vlak '' ( English : `` The Last Train '' ). In 2017 a Chinese adaptation of the song called `` 别 送 我 '' was released on the soundtrack of `` Duckweed '' and sung by Chen Hongyu, Su Zixu, Liu Hao Lin, and Han Luo. In popular culture This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2017 ) In an episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Jim Nabors, in the title role, sang the song to character Lou - Ann Poovie, played by Elizabeth MacRae, resulting in Lou - Ann choosing Gomer as her boyfriend. It is sung by Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Stark Sands in Inside Llewyn Davis. See also American fiddle List of train songs References ^ Jump up to : Blood, Peter and Annie Patterson ( eds ), Rise Up Singing, Sing Out Corporation, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, 1992, p. 232 Jump up ^ Anderson, Yohann ( ed ), Songs, Songs and Creations, Inc., San Anselmo, California, United States, 1983, p. 29 ^ Jump up to : Hunt, Ken ( 3 August 2005 ). `` Obituary : Hedy West ''. The Independent. Retrieved 17 September 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 08. Jump up ^ Cohen, Norm ( 2000 ). Long Steel Rail : The Railroad in American Folksong, 2nd Ed. Urbana : University of Illinois Press. pp. 503 -- 517. ISBN 0 - 252 - 06881 - 5. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 19. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1993 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 1993. Record Research. p. 24. Jump up ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, November 23, 1963 Jump up ^ Musicoutfitters.com Jump up ^ `` The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life 's Questions ''. Answers. 2016 - 08 - 03. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ Bruce Eder. `` Peter, Paul and Mary - Peter, Paul and Mary Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Folk Artists ''. Billboard Magazine. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. : 18 19 January 1963. ISSN 0006 - 2510. Jump up ^ `` Dick & Dee Dee * - Turn Around ( Vinyl, LP, Album ) at Discogs ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Hedy West Songs ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Inside Llewyn Davis -- Original Soundtrack Recording ( LP ) Nonesuch Records - MP3 Downloads, Free Streaming Music, Lyrics ''. Nonesuch.com. 2013 - 11 - 11. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 淋しい 熱帯魚 ( MEG - CD ) ''. amazon.co.jp. Amazon. Retrieved May 1, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Iz naftalina : Lado Leskovar -- Poslednji vlak - siol.net ''. Siol.net. Retrieved July 13, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 别 送 我 ''. Baidu BaiKe. Retrieved Aug 16, 2017. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Bobby Bare Studio albums The Game of Triangles Notable singles `` 500 Miles '' `` The Ballad of Lucy Jordan '' `` A Dear John Letter '' `` Detroit City '' `` Four Strong Winds '' `` God Bless America Again '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` How I Got to Memphis '' `` Just to Satisfy You '' `` ( Margie 's At ) The Lincoln Park Inn '' `` Marie Laveau '' `` Ruby, Do n't Take Your Love to Town '' `` Song of the South '' `` Streets of Baltimore '' Guest singles `` No Memories Hangin ' Round '' ( with Rosanne Cash ) Related articles Bobby Bare, Jr. Peter, Paul and Mary Peter Yarrow Paul Stookey Mary Travers Studio albums Peter, Paul and Mary Moving In the Wind A Song Will Rise See What Tomorrow Brings The Peter, Paul and Mary Album Album 1700 Late Again Peter, Paul and Mommy No Easy Walk To Freedom In These Times Compilation albums The Best of Peter, Paul and Mary : Ten Years Together Songs of Conscience and Concern Live albums In Concert Peter, Paul & Mommy, Too Singles `` Lemon Tree '' `` If I Had a Hammer '' `` Puff, the Magic Dragon '' `` 500 Miles '' `` Blowin ' in the Wind '' `` Do n't Think Twice, It 's All Right '' `` Stewball '' `` Tell It on the Mountain '' `` The Times They Are a-Changin ' '' `` When the Ship Comes In '' `` San Francisco Bay Blues '' `` Early Morning Rain '' `` I Dig Rock and Roll Music '' `` Too Much of Nothing '' `` Day Is Done '' `` Leaving on a Jet Plane '' Other songs `` Where Have All the Flowers Gone ? '' `` And When I Die '' `` El Salvador '' `` The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face '' `` This Land Is Your Land '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=500_Miles&oldid=801360159 '' Categories : 1961 songs 1962 singles 1963 singles The Kingston Trio songs Peter, Paul and Mary songs Bobby Bare songs Dick and Dee Dee songs The Hooters songs Glen Campbell songs Songs about loneliness Songs about trains American folk songs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from August 2017 All articles needing additional references Articles containing Japanese - language text Use dmy dates from June 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikibooks Brezhoneg Español Italiano עברית Norsk Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 19 September 2017, at 06 : 08. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who sang the song 500 miles away from home
Answer: Bobby Bare