what was the lightning express theme song

The song most commonly referred to as the “Lightning Express” theme song is “Lightning Express” by The Everly Brothers. It’s a mournful railroad ballad about a boy trying to reach his dying mother, and multiple music listings identify it under that title.

Quick scoop

• Title: “Lightning Express.”
• Artist: The Everly Brothers.
• General vibe: a classic country/folk train song with a sad story line.

Why there’s confusion

There are also older songs with similar train-themed titles, including “Please, Mr. Conductor, Don’t Put Me Off the Train,” which is related to the broader “Lightning Express” ballad tradition. That’s why people sometimes mix up which “Lightning Express” they mean.

TL;DR

If you mean the well-known recorded song, the answer is The Everly Brothers’ “Lightning Express”.