Lyrics

[Any final requests?
We won't have much more chances you know
Sure
You probably will sing along with us a little
???
Leadbelly did all his songs in the key of G
??? Leadbelly
Since I don't know any other key
That's too good for any of these things
???
Key of G
Rock Island Line

Now the Rock island Line is an old railroad line
Jonathan says
I never would have know this if I hadn't read a lot about it
I wouldn't have known anything about it

Like they had these guys who would
Who would make sure you didn't take certain things
Like metal
Across state lines or something without paying the tax
So they would try and spot check some of the railroad guys

And then, so
Some of the guys wanted to of course get out without paying the tax
So they of course lied about what they had

So they got the guy going]

I got oats
I got grains
I got corn
I got all that stuff
I got all that stuff

[And then the train starts moving
And he goes]

I fooled you
I fooled you
I have old pig iron
I've got old pig iron

[Then he said]

Well 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 got to ride it like you find it,
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line.

[We're gonna sing
Inside out]

A, B, C, W, X, Y and Z
Cats in the cupboard, but they don't see me!

Well 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 got to ride it like you find it,
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line.

[What do I need?
Ok, I'll ???
??? Courtroom]

Well 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 got to ride it like you find it,
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line.

A B C WX WM
I know the verse ???

Well 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 got to ride it like you find it,
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line.

Chords

(Rhythm is the most important thing here, but if you can work an alternating bass into
Song with the rhythm some versions have it, some don't.)
 
[Fyi Pig Iron:  Iron tapped from a blast furnace in preparation for conversion into
Cast iron, or wrought iron; getting its name from the shape of the moulds (resembling a pig)
Which it used to be cast in the 19th century.]
 
To do this song right, you have to start out by telling the story of the Rock Island Line.
 
There's a railroad in Louisiana and just outside of New Orleans they used to have a toll
And the engineers pull up to the toll booth and blow the whistle then talk to the depot
And tell'em what they have on board. For certain things, you don't have to pay toll at
So the engineer would pull up to the station and say something like 
 
 
(Just speak the Line here in the first bit. Then give the A Chord a quick down strum chop)
        A
I got Liiivvveestooockk
        A
I got Liiivvveestooockk
      A               A
I got pigs,    I got sheep
       A              A
I got cows,   I got horses
A
I got AAAALLLL Livestock
 
[Spoken]
 
N.C.
Then the depot agent yells "Well boy, you can go right on threw, you ain't gotta pay no
Just go right on threw"
 
So the engineer starts pickin up some steam (Start Strumming Again)
 
(This is where you is where to start the train theme, start out a little slow then and
Up slightly to a moderate pace, simulating the train)
 
And then when he gets on past the toll man he yells
A
"Well, I fooled you, I fooled you
A
I got pig iron, I got pig iron
A
I got AAAALLLLL Pig Iron
 
A
Well the Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                                    E
Well the Rock Island Line, She's a road to ride
           A
I say, the Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
           D                           A
And if ya wanna find it, gotta ride it like you find it
              D            E              A
Get-cha ticket at the station on the Rock Island Liiine
 
A
Well I might be right and, I may be wrong
                    E
But you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
 
[Chorus]
 
A
The Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                         E
 The Rock Island Line, She's a road to ride
          A
I say, the Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                D                                  A
And if ya want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you find it
              D               E              A
Get-cha ticket at the station on the Rock Island Liiine
 
         A
That Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                                 E
The Rock Island Line, She's the road to ride
           A
I say, the Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                 D                      A
And if ya want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you find it
              D                   E              A
Get-cha ticket at the station on the Rock Island Liiine
 
A
A  B  C Double X, Y, Z
                  E
Come On Baby, Take a Ride With Me
 
        A
I say, the Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                                 E
Well Rock Island Line, She's the road to ride
           A
The Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                 D                     A
And if ya want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you find it
              D                  E                A
Get-cha ticket at the station on the Rock Island Liiine
 
   A
I say, the Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                                 E
Well Rock Island Line, She's the road to ride
           A
The Rock Island Line, She's a mighty good road
                 D                      A
And if ya want to ride it, you gotta ride it like you find it
              D           E                A
Get-cha ticket at the station on the Rock Island Liiine

Lyrics

Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
Oh that Rock Island Line is that road to ride,
Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,

If you want to ride, you got to ride it like you find it,
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line.
Jesus died to save our sins--hooray to God,
We're going to meet him again!

Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
Oh that Rock Island Line is that road to ride,
Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

I may be right and I may be wrong,
You are going to miss me when I'm gone!

Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
Oh that Rock Island Line is that road to ride,
Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

A, B, C, W, X, Y and Z
Cats in the cupboard, but they don't see me!

Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
Oh that Rock Island Line is that road to ride,
Oh that Rock Island Line is a mighty good road