Introduction
“Trains Make Me Lonesome” is a wistful ballad featured as the fifth track on George Strait’s twelfth studio album, Holding My Own, released on April 21, 1992. The song, penned by acclaimed Nashville songwriters Paul Overstreet and Thom Schuyler, was not originally recorded by Strait; it first appeared on the self-titled debut album of the trio Schuyler, Knobloch & Overstreet in 1986, and was later covered by Marty Haggard in 1988 .
Strait’s rendition reflects his signature neotraditional country stylings—unadorned yet deeply expressive, with a steel‑guitar arrangement that conjures the rhythmic chug of a locomotive and the ache of solitude. Co‑produced by Strait and Jimmy Bowen, Holding My Own aimed to uphold the honky‑tonk and Western swing traditions George championed, even though the album did not spawn a number‑one single—an uncommon occurrence in his otherwise chart‑topping career.
Lyrically, “Trains Make Me Lonesome” uses the metaphor of a departing train to evoke themes of loss and longing—characters left behind watching rails fade into the distance, their absence echoing in the rolling cadence of the tracks. It fits naturally into Strait’s repertoire of songs that focus on unspoken heartache and the landscapes of memory and yearning.
Although Holding My Own didn’t achieve the blockbuster success of many of Strait’s albums, “Trains Make Me Lonesome” has since garnered appreciation among fans and critics as an emotional highlight—a song that underscores the quiet power of Strait’s interpretation and his ability to convey heartache through subtle restraint .
In essence, George Strait’s recording of “Trains Make Me Lonesome” represents a thoughtful homage to traditional country storytelling—rooted in metaphor, driven by melody, and delivered with the authenticity that has defined his enduring legacy.