Marrakesh Express is an amazing song melodically as well as lyrically — it tells a story of a journey to Marrakesh. It was written by Graham Nash, and was a big hit in 1969 for Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
According to LouderSound, Graham Nash wrote the song after making a pilgrimage to Marrakesh in 1966. At the time, Nash was with The Hollies. Marrakesh had become an “it” destination for the hippie generation — known for its spiritual enlightenment and hashish.
Nash took a train from Casablanca to Marrakesh.
Nash Tells the Story
Graham Nash tells the story of how he wrote Marrakesh Express, and where the lyrics come from:
“I was in first class and there were a lot of older, rich American ladies in there, who all had their hair dyed blue. And I quickly grew bored of that and went back to the third class of the train. That was where it was all happening. There were lots of people cooking strange little meals on small wooden stoves and the place was full of chickens, pigs and goats. It was fabulous; the whole thing was fascinating.”
The lyrics themselves tell Graham’s full story:
Looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes
Travelling the train through clear Moroccan skies
Ducks, and pigs, and chickens call
Animal carpet wall-to-wall
American ladies five-foot tall in blue
Sweeping cobwebs from the edges of my mind
Had to get away to see what we could find
Hope the days that lie ahead
Bring us back to where they’ve led
Listen not to what’s been said to you
Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
They’re taking me to Marrakesh
All aboard the train, all aboard the train
I’ve been saving all my money just to take you there
I smell the garden in your hair
Take the train from Casablanca going south
Blowing smoke rings from the corners of my mouth, my mouth
Colored cottons hang in the air
Charming cobras in the square
Striped djellebas we can wear at home
Well, let me hear ya now
Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
They’re taking me to Marrakesh
Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
They’re taking me to Marrakesh
All on board the train, all on board the train
All on board
Hollies Didn’t Get It — Stills & Crosby Did
According to the story in LouderSound, the Hollies recorded the song, but the rest of the band weren’t keen on it, and the recording they made wasn’t very good in Nash’s opinion. Later, Nash left The Hollies and formed CSN with David Crosby and Steven Stills — hitting it off with them artistically. He pulled Marrakesh Express out of his back pocket to be recorded on their first album, and it was a smash success.
As Rob Hughes eloquently writes, “Stills’ guitar races along at a clip, echoing the literal rush of Nash’s Casablanca train and imbuing the song with a wondrous sense of buoyant optimism. There’s a smattering of nonsensical wordplay to begin, before Nash begins to sing in his warmest tones, exhorting everyone to climb aboard. You can almost feel the sunset through the windows.”
Can You Dance to Marakesh Express?
Of course you can dance to any song; here’s how to dance to Marakesh Express:
Visiting Marrakesh
You can travel to Marrakesh physically or in your mind. To travel to Marrakesh in your mind — you can do a combination of Google Earth, youtube, and various stories on the internet. Periscope is closed so you can’t zoom into Marrakesh and watch someone’s live stream anymore. Maybe twitter will re-enable this kind of feature but it is unlikely.
Here’s a video on taking the train from Casablanca to Marrakesh:
The central square of Marrakesh is its most famous location — Jemaa el-Fna. There, within the noisy hustle and bustle of the medina, you’ll find Morocco’s vibrant soul — and snake charmers.
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