Single:
Peace Train entered the Australian singles chart* on 25 October 1971 and peaked at #3. It was the #17 song of 1971.
Album:
The song is on Teaser and the Firecat which entered the Australian albums chart* on 15 November 1971. The album sat at #1 for 15 weeks.
Songwriter:
Cat Stevens
Producer:
Paul Samwell-Smith
Record label of Australian release:
Island
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Peace Train recorded live during the Majikat – Earth Tour in 1976:
Wikipedia:
Cat Stevens later converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. 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.”
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Train
Yusuf / Cat Stevens:
Following 1970’s Tea for the Tillerman was not going to be an easy task. However, Teaser and the Firecat actually managed to commercially outperform its predecessor. Impressive sales of the album around the world saw Cat become a global sensation.
Teaser and the Firecat was also the title of a children’s book, written and illustrated by Cat, that featured the characters from his album cover design.
Read more: catstevens.com/media/albums/teaser-and-the-firecat-1971
Lyrics:
Now I’ve been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun
Oh I’ve been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it’s going to come
Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
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