"Rock Island Line"
Cover of the Leadbelly compilation Rock Island Line: Original 1935-1943 Recordings
Song originally by Lead Belly
Recorded	1937
Genre	Blues, Folk, Skiffle, Country
Length	2-4 minutes
Label	Asch Recordings
Writer(s)	Lead Belly
Alternative album cover
Johnny Cash's 1970s album, Rock Island Line

"Rock Island Line" is an American blues/folk song, written and originally performed by Lead Belly in the 1930s. It memorializes the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad; versions of the song have been recorded by many other artists. Image File history File links Leadbelly_Rock_Island_Line_Original_1935-1943_Recordings. ... Huddie William Ledbetter (January 23, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the twelve string guitar, and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. ... See also: 1936 in music, other events of 1937, 1938 in music and the list of years in music. Events January 21 - Paul Sacher conducts the world premiere of Béla Bartóks Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta in Basel June 2 - The incomplete version of Alban Berg... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... Doghouse Skiffle Group Skiffle is a type of folk music with a jazz and blues influence, usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the washboard, tea chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, musical saw, comb and paper, and so forth, as well as more conventional instruments such as acoustic... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Huddie William Ledbetter (January 23, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the twelve string guitar, and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. ... Image File history File links Johnny_Cash-_Rock_Island_Line. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... Huddie William Ledbetter (January 23, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the twelve string guitar, and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. ... The 1930s (years from 1930-1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark RI) was a Class I railroad in the United States. ...

The chorus to the old song reads:

The Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line is the road to ride
The Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
If you want to ride you gotta ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line

The verses of the song tell a humorous story about a train operator who smuggled "pig iron" through a toll gate by claiming all he had on board was livestock. Pig iron is raw iron, the immediate product of smelting iron ore with coke and limestone in a blast furnace. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...

History

According to Harry Lewman Music,

• Lonnie Donegan's recording, released in 1955, signalled the start of the "skiffle" craze. Donegan "did nothing to credit Lead Belly as the author, even though he simply copied Huddie's entire arrangement".^[2] However, although it only featured Donegan and a washboard player, it was officially a band recording so he made no money from it beyond his original session fee.

• Pete Seeger recorded a version of this song a cappela while he was chopping wood, to demonstrate its origins.^[3]

John Avery Lomax (September 23, 1867 - January 26, 1948) was a pioneering musicologist and folklorist. ... Lomax playing guitar, sometime between 1938 and 1950 Alan Lomax (January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an important American folklorist and musicologist. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... Huddie William Ledbetter (January 23, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the twelve string guitar, and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lonnie Donegan Lonnie Donegan MBE (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002) was a skiffle musician, possibly the most famous of them all, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. ... See also: 1954 in music, other events of 1955, 1956 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - RCA victor announces a marketing plan called Operation TNT. The label drops the list price on LPs from $5. ... Doghouse Skiffle Group Skiffle is a type of folk music with a jazz and blues influence, usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the washboard, tea chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, musical saw, comb and paper, and so forth, as well as more conventional instruments such as acoustic... A washboard (left) and a piano player A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sideman. ... Pete Seeger (1955) Peter Seeger (born May 3, 1919) almost universally known as Pete Seeger, is a folk singer and political activist. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ...

Versions

"Rock Island Line" has been recorded by:

1930s – 40s

• Lead Belly records the song at Washington, D.C. on June 22, 1937, the first of many recordings of it he made during his career, the last being recorded live at the University of Texas on June 15, 1949.^[4]

Huddie William Ledbetter (January 23, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing, his virtuosity on the twelve string guitar, and the rich songbook of folk standards he introduced. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Federal District District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship[3][4][5][6][7] institution of the University of Texas System. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ...

1950s

• Lead Belly - "Rock Island Line" appears on the compilation Rock Island Line: Original 1935-1943 Recordings (released 1951?) [1]

• Lonnie Donegan - single (1955)
  • In July 1954, Donegan recorded a fast-tempoed version of "Rock Island Line", with Chris Barber's Jazz Band, featuring "John Henry" on the B-side. It was the first debut record to go gold in Britain, and reached the top ten in the United States.

• Odetta & Larry - The Tin Angel (1954)

• The Weavers - The Weavers' Greatest Hits (1957) [2]

• Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar (1957)

See also: 1950 in music, other events of 1951, 1952 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Johnnie Ray has his first hit record with Cry. ... Lonnie Donegan Lonnie Donegan MBE (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002) was a skiffle musician, possibly the most famous of them all, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. ... See also: 1954 in music, other events of 1955, 1956 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - RCA victor announces a marketing plan called Operation TNT. The label drops the list price on LPs from $5. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... Administrators, remember to check if anything links here, the page history (last edit) and any revisions of CSD before deleting. ... USPS 1996 John Henry stamp John Henry is an American mythical (usually African-American) folk hero, who has been the subject of numerous songs, stories, plays, and novels. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with RIAA certification. ... The cover of 1993 CD re-release The Tin Angel Odetta & Larry was a short-lived blues-folk band in the mid-1950s. ... The Tin Angel is now the common name for Odetta & Larrys only album, a collection of all their recordings, originally released in 1954 as Odetta And Larry. // The album is a collection of recordings of Odetta and Larry Mohr from 1953-54; it was partially recorded live at San... See also: 1953 in music, other events of 1954, 1955 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Frank Sinatra wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here To Eternity, 1953; resuscitating his singing career in the process Bing Crosby received a... The Weavers were an immensely popular and influential folk music quartet from Greenwich Village, New York, United States. ... See also: 1956 in music, other events of 1957, 1958 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Pat Boone stars in his first two Hollywood motion pictures: Bernadine and April Love Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será), from 1956s Alfred Hitchcock... Johnny Cash (born J.R. Cash, February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an influential American country and rock and roll singer and songwriter. ... Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar was the first album by the influential country singer Johnny Cash, released in 1957 (see 1957 in music). ... See also: 1956 in music, other events of 1957, 1958 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Pat Boone stars in his first two Hollywood motion pictures: Bernadine and April Love Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será), from 1956s Alfred Hitchcock...

1960s

• Stan Freberg - The Best of Stan Freberg (1963) [3]
  • In Freberg's typical style, this is a "twisted" parody version.

• Johnny Horton - Johnny Horton on Stage (1966) [4]

Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles) is a voice actor, comedian, and advertising creative. ... See also: 1962 in music, other events of 1963, 1964 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 1 - The Beatles start a 5 day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, Love Me Do. January 4 - At Cortina d... Johnny Horton (April 30, 1925 – November 5, 1960) was an American country music singer. ... See also: 1965 in music, other events of 1966, 1967 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music Hot 100 No. ...

1970s

• Johnny Cash - single (1970)
  • This single reached #93 (US Singles Chart), and #35 (US Country chart).
  • In the 1970s Cash also released an album titled Rock Island Line [5]

See also: other events of 1970 list of years in music 1970s in music // Charles Wuorinen, aged 32, becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the main U.S. singles popularity chart used by Billboard magazine. ... Hot Country Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...

1980s

• Mano Negra - Patchanka (1988)

Mano Negra was a French band frontend by Manu Chao. ... Track List Band Line-Up Guest Musicians ... See also: 1987 in music, other events of 1988, 1989 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ...

2000s

• Odetta - Looking for a Home (2001)[6]
• Dan Zanes and Friends - Family Dance (2001) [7]
  • a children's version recorded with the Rocket Ship Review

Odetta (b. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 other events of 2001 list of years in music 2000s in music // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ... Dan Zanes was the lead singer of the eighties pop band The Del Fuegos. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 other events of 2001 list of years in music 2000s in music // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ...

Trivia

• "Rock Island Line" was featured in an advert for the Vauxhall Astra Twintop and Tigra in 2006 in the UK.

Vauxhall is an inner city area of south London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ...

See also

• List of Leadbelly songs

The following is a list of songs by Huddie Ledbetter: A monument to Lead Belly in Shreveport, Louisiana Aint Goin Down the Well No More Aint Gonna Drink No More Aint Gonna Study War No More Aint It a Shame Alabama Bound Alberta Amazing Grace Backslider...

External links

• "Rock Island Line" on the All Music Guide
• Oldielyrics.com, Lonnie Donegan's version of "Rock Island Line"

References

1. ^ Harry Lewman Music - The Lead Belly Songbook
2. ^ Ibid., Harry Lewman Music
3. ^ Ibid., Harry Lewman Music
4. ^ The Leadbelly Web Discography