"Long Train Runnin'" (or "Long Train Running") is a song recorded by American rock band the Doobie Brothers and written by band member Tom Johnston. It was included on the band's third album, The Captain and Me (1973), and was released as a single by Warner Bros., becoming a hit and peaking at No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100.^[6]

It was covered by the Italian band Traks in 1982, and then by the British girl group Bananarama in 1991. In 1993, the Doobie Brothers' version was remixed and charted again in several countries, including reaching No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

The tune evolved from an untitled and mostly ad-libbed jam that the Doobies developed onstage years before it was finally recorded.^[7] Its working title, according to Johnston, was "Rosie Pig Moseley" and later "Osborn". "I didn't want to cut it," Johnston later confessed. "...I just considered it a bar song without a lot of merit. Teddy [Templeman], on the other hand, thought it had some." Templeman convinced Johnston to write words to the song.

Johnston performed the lead vocal and the rhythmic guitar strumming that propels the song and also performs the harmonica solo.

Billboard described it as "good-timey, good-harmony AM cooker."^[8] Cash Box praised the Doobies' "fine harmony and musical prowess."^[9] Record World said that the "pulsating rocker should take the honors in 1973."^[10]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated "Long Train Runnin'" the Doobie Brothers' second-greatest song, especially praising the guitar riff.^[7] The staff of Billboard rated it as the Doobie Brothers' sixth-best song, noting how Johnston's and Patrick Simmons' "punchy guitars" contrast with "the jammy polyrhythms" in the bass and drums.^[11]

Source:^[1]

• Tom Johnston – lead guitar, harmonica, ARP synthesizer, vocals
• Patrick Simmons – guitar, ARP synthesizer, vocals
• Tiran Porter – bass, vocals
• John Hartman – drums, percussion, vocals
• Michael Hossack – drums, congas, timbales

In 1982, Italian band Traks covered the song. This version charted in France and in West Germany, where it peaked at No. 62 and No. 18, respectively.

English pop trio Bananarama's version of "Long Train Runnin'" appeared on their fifth studio album, Pop Life (1991),^[41] and was released as the album's third single in the UK. The group discovered the song when they were browsing through the record collection of Youth, producer of the Pop Life album. They needed one more tune to complete Pop Life and decided to go with a cover. The song reached No. 10 in Portugal, No. 18 in Ireland and No. 30 in the UK.