Rock Island Line

"Rock Island Line" is an American folk music song. Ostensibly about the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, it appeared as a spiritual as early as 1929. The first recorded performance of "Rock Island Line" was by inmates of the Arkansas Cummins State Farm prison in 1934. Many artists subsequently recorded it, including popular renditions by Lead Belly and Lonnie Donegan. The verses 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. The song's chorus includes:

Rock Island Line

"Rock Island Line" is an American folk music song. Ostensibly about the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, it appeared as a spiritual as early as 1929. The first recorded performance of "Rock Island Line" was by inmates of the Arkansas Cummins State Farm prison in 1934. Many artists subsequently recorded it, including popular renditions by Lead Belly and Lonnie Donegan. The verses 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. The song's chorus includes: