Really Useful Engine

**Really Useful Engine**, alternately titled **A Really Useful Engine** and **He's a Really Useful Engine**, is the first song and music video in the UK from the fourth series dedicated to Thomas.

An orchestral and shortened version of the song, with the original children's voices and added backup vocals by Steven Page, was used in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, along with the crossover. A third version was made, with vocals by Robert Hartshorne and the Kidmore Children's Choir and slightly modified lyrics for The Adventure Begins.

## Lyrics

***Note:** The bold text indicates which lyrics are used in the crossover. The plain ones are used in the original version.*

***He's a Really Useful Engine, you know***

***All the other engines they'll tell you so***

***He huffs and puffs and whistles rushing to and fro***

***He's the Really Useful Engine we adore!***

*He's the one, he's the one*

*He's the Really Useful Engine that we adore*

*He's the one, he's the Number One*

*Thomas the Tank Engine*

***He's a Really Useful Engine, you know***

***‘Cause The Fat Controller, he told him so***

***Now he's got a branch line to call his very own***

***He's the Really Useful Engine we adore!***

*He's the one, he's the one*

*He's the Really Useful Engine that we adore*

*He's the one, he's the Number One*

*Thomas the Tank Engine*

*Little blue train, he's always there*

*Whenever you need a hand*

*If you need help with a situation*

*Who comes into mind?*

*He's the one, he's the one*

*He's the Really Useful Engine that we adore*

*He's the one, he's the Number One*

*Thomas the Tank Engine*

*He's a Really Useful Engine, you know*

*Maybe little, but he's never slow*

*Stand back in amazement just you watch him go*

*He's the Really Useful Engine we adore!*

***He's the one, he's the one***

***He's the Really Useful Engine that we adore!***

***He's the one, he's the Number One***

***Thomas the Tank Engine!***

***He's the Really Useful Engine we adore!***

## Trivia

* A version without subtitles is seen on Your Favourite Story Collection UK VHS and Entertainment to Grow Up With promotional US VHS.
* This is the first song dedicated to a character without being based on the character's theme, and the second song to be dedicated to Thomas.
* There is a differently mixed instrumental and pronounced vocals from Thomas and the Best-Kept Station Competition.
* The first few seconds are cut off from Singalong with Thomas.
* This is the fourth song to be re-released with different lyrics and footage. The first was Engine Roll Call, the second was Go, Go Thomas and the third was Working Together.
* The Adventure Begins version of this song is the first song since Where, oh Where is Thomas? to be sung by children.
* In The Adventure Begins, as Thomas approaches Edward before he asks, "What are you so happy about today, Thomas?" Thomas can be heard humming the song. This is only present in the US version.
* A small riff of this song is heard in Philip to the Rescue when Edward tells Thomas that Philip reminds him of a little tank engine who wanted to see the world.
* In the Magic Railroad crossover, the last chorus is sung completely like in the original version.
* The 1993 and 2000 recordings are performed in B flat, whereas the 2015 recording is performed in A flat.
* On the Sing-Along and Stories VHS and DVD, the chuffing and whistle from the beginning of Thomas' Anthem can be heard at the end before the credits.
* The sing along lyrics on Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales are taken from the VHS, The Gallant Old Engine.