Morningtown Ride

{{redirect-distinguish|Morningtown|Mornington (disambiguation){{!}}Mornington}}

{{Infobox song

| cover =

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| type = single

| artist = the Seekers

| album = Hide & Seekers

| B-side = When the Stars Begin to Fall

| released = 1966

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

Folk"[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-02-04.pdf Spotlight Singles]" Billboard, February 4, 1967. p. 16. Accessed December 23, 2017.
folk-pop{{cite book|first= Robery|last= Dimery|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2015 |title= 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die|chapter= The Seekers - "The Carnival Is Over|publisher= Universe|location= New York|page= 163}}
lullabyLey, Alison (2003). [https://books.google.com/books?id=VyDcn9EMO28C&pg=PA49 Sounds of Singing: Reception-Y2/P1-P3], p. 49. Nelson Thornes. Retrieved December 23, 2017.

| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=36}}

| label = Columbia

| writer = Malvina Reynolds

| producer = Tom Springfield

| prev_title =

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| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|lsqNcZ1JqW8|"Morningtown Ride" - (Stereo, 1966)|link=no}}}}

}}

"Morningtown Ride" is a lullaby, written and performed by American singer Malvina Reynolds. It was covered by the Australian pop group the Seekers and their recording reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song tells the comforting story of the journey through nighttime made by all the "little travellers" (children), on board a train, with the Sandman as guard."[http://www.susietallman.com/records/eyes/ Lullabies for Sleepy Eyes]", Susie Tallman & Rock Me Baby Records. Retrieved September 29, 2016.

The Seekers version

The song was performed by the Seekers with Bobby Richards and his Orchestra on the 1964 album Hide & Seekers (W&G Records WG-B-2362). It was subsequently re-recorded and released as a single in 1966 (Columbia DB 8060),{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11597/seekers/ |title=SEEKERS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |date= |access-date=2016-09-29}} produced by Tom Springfield."[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-04-15.pdf Billboard Hot 100]", Billboard, March 25, 1967. Accessed September 29, 2016.

The song spent 15 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 2 on 28 December 1966. In the United States, the song spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 44,{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/419076/seekers/chart |title=The Seekers - Chart history |publisher=Billboard |date= |access-date=2016-09-29}} while reaching No. 13 on Billboard{{'}}s Easy Listening chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/419076/seekers/chart?f=341 |title=The Seekers - Chart history |publisher=Billboard |date= |access-date=2016-09-29}}"[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-04-15.pdf Billboard Top 40 Easy Listening]", Billboard, April 15, 1967. p. 20. Accessed September 29, 2016.

=Charts=

Chart (1966–67) !Peak position
class="wikitable sortable"
{{Single chart\|Ireland2\|2\|artist=The Seekers\|song=Morningtown Ride}}
Malaysia"[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-02-18.pdf Hits of the World]", Billboard, February 18, 1967. p. 60. Accessed September 29, 2016. \| style="text-align:center;"\|4
South Africa"[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1967/Billboard%201967-01-28.pdf Hits of the World]", Billboard, January 28, 1967. p. 70. Accessed September 29, 2016. \| style="text-align:center;"\|9
{{Single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|2\|artistid=11597\|artist=Seekers }}
{{Single chart\|Billboardhot100\|44\|artist=The Seekers}}
{{Single chart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|13\|artist=The Seekers}}

Other versions

The Irish Rovers recorded versions of the song, which were released on the 1972 album The Irish Rovers Live and the 1976 album Children of the Unicorn. In 1973, the Irish Rovers' version reached No. 83 on Canada's RPM 100"[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=7412& RPM 100]", RPM Weekly, Volume 20, No. 1, August 18, 1973. Accessed October 8, 2016. and No. 39 on RPM{{'}}s Adult Contemporary Playlist."[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=2970& Adult Contemporary Playlist]", RPM Weekly, Volume 19, No. 11, April 28, 1973. Accessed October 8, 2016.
Brendan Grace recorded a version of the song, which reached No. 25 on the Irish Singles Chart on 6 January 1985.[http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement Song Title Search Results for "Morningtown Ride"], The Irish Charts. Accessed September 29, 2016.
Australian soprano, Mirusia, recorded the song on her 2019 album, A Salute to The Seekers, which reached No. 1 on the ARIA Jazz and Blues chart.
The Swedish group Country Four recorded a Swedish version, "Vägen till morgonstad" (The way to morningtown), which peaked at number 6 in May–June 1967 on the Swedish airplay chart Svensktoppen.