NO idea of song title, artist, or year - it's driving me nuts!!

[Dr Keats]

Had this song running through my head for the last day or so... I doubt anyone'll be able to help, given the lack of info I've got, but here goes:

Only lyrics I can remember are from the chorus: "ain't nothing special", "midnight special", with "get on board the midnight special" as a backing vocal. And that's it.

Male vocal, solo artist, not group (I think). Aussie, early 80's. Female backing vocals in the chorus making "woo woo" sounds to mimic a train.

Music is mid to up-tempo soft blues / rock. As to the vocal - similar to Mick Pealing / Peter Cupples / Paul Norton, that sort of thing. I'm only assuming it's Aussie, may not be!

Absolutely got me stumped - would love to get a copy for use on-air, but can't do that without knowing who it is or the title...

[Jukebox]

Midnight Special is a much recorded song. Often listed as traditional, sometimes as by Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, sometimes by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. There are hundreds of recordings of it. Having said that, the lyrics you quote don't match, so it may either be a variant version, or a different song altogether.

Well, you wake up in the morning
You hear the work bell ring
And they march you to the table
You see the same old thing

/ C - / G - / D - / G G7 /

Ain't no food upon the table
And no fork up in the pan
But you better not complain, boy
You get in trouble with the man

{Refrain}
Let the midnight special shine a light on me (3X)
Let the midnight special shine a ever-lovin' light on me

Yonder come miss Rosie
How in the world did you know
By the way she wears her apron
And the clothes she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder
Piece of paper in her hand
She come to see the governor
She want to free her man

{Refrain}

If you're ever in Houston
Well you'd better do right
You'd better not gamble
And you better not fight at all
Or the sheriff will grab you
And the boys will bring you down
The next thing you know boy
Well, you're prison bound

{2 x Refrain}

Good luck in tracking down the right one!

[Dr Keats]

Thanks, Juke, but it's definitely not a version of that old standard - that much I do know!

I can hear it playing in my head as I type this... bugger it!!

[Dr Keats]

All righty, found it - mentioned the above info on-air an hour ago, one of our presenters rang in before I'd finished talking!

Mark Gillespie, "Nothing Special" off the "Sweet Nothing" album from 1982.

Damn, that presenter's sharp!!

[Whalanboy]

The most common recording of Midnight Special and also the most readily available was done by Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) , you may also find it on some of John Fogerty's solo stuff.