My 100 Favorite Charted Country Songs: Smoke Along the Track

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Another day, another headache for Linda, Jim, and other country music haters. Remember, we have all these different genres because everyone has different tastes. I call this my favorite songs, not “best.” My “best” and your “best” are night and day. So with that, here’s one you might know from someone else. Smoke Along the Track - Stonewall Jackson Waddaya mean, Dwight Yoakam??? Yes, Yoakam covered this on his second album, Hillbilly Deluxe. Emmylou Harris also covered it. Her version makes me shudder, not in a good way. This isn’t well-remembered by Stonewall Jackson, but you can’t really blame him. This was the follow-up single to “Waterloo,” and that was a massive country AND pop hit, so most stations were probably still playing that too much to worry about this song. I got to meet Jackson in 1995. I told him that one of my favorite songs of his was “You Haven’t Heard” (which isn’t on this list because it wasn’t a single). He blushed and said, “We’re always happy when someone says they like a song, but it’s especially rewarding when it’s one I wrote.” He didn’t write this one (Hank Williams’ steel guitarist Don Helms was the co-writer), but it’s a doozy. With its theme of traveling (and I really would love to do some train traveling), I guess you can understand why I like this song. Smoke Along the Track Written by Don Helms and Alan Rose Recorded by Stonewall Jackson From The Dynamic Stonewall Jackson, 1959 Peak chart position: #24 Today’s rock song: “Sloop John B.” I hurry home and pack: