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The Rock Island Line
Johnny Cash
Now this is a strange song to play. It only has two chords, E and B7, and most
of the song is played by reciting and slowly strumming
the E chord faster as you go along.... if you are familiar with
the song, you should have no problem with it. If not, then style='font-size:1px;color:#ffffff;'>
just listen to the recording and you should easily pick it up.style='font-size:1px;color:#ffffff;'>
Capo 2
Slowly strum E
Well the Rock Island Line runs from New Orleans, goin' north. The train driver pulled
up to the tollgate, and the man asked him what all they had on board. He said, "I ain't
got no pigiron..", he said "What do you got?".
He said "I got livestock, I got livestock, I got cows, I got pigs, I got chicks,
I got mules, I got all livestock, I got all livestock,
I got aaaalllll live-stock...". The man said "You alright
then you go on through." So he went on through the tollgate.
And as he went through, he started pickin' up a little bit o' speed..."
(Now start to strum at a little faster tempo)
"Pickin' up a bit o'little steam. And as he went through he said,
"Well I fooled you,I fooled you, I got pigiron, I got pigiron, I got all pigiron,
I got all pigiron, I got aaaalllll pigiron...."
Chorus
E
Down the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
B7
Rock Island Line is the road to ride
E
Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Well if you ride, you got to ride it like you find it
B7 E
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line
E
Its cloudy in the north and it looks like rain,
And around the curve come a passenger train.
Chorus
E
Yes the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
B7
Rock Island Line is the road to ride
E
Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Well if you ride, you got to ride it like you find it
B7 E
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line
(Now strum at a fast tempo)
Then she goes on north, and as she passes the flatlands, The Illinois,
she picks up a little bit more speed....
E
Well A, B, C, W, X, Y, Z
Cat's in the cupboard but it don't see me
Chorus
E
Down the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
B7
Rock Island Line is the road to ride
E
Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Well if you ride, you got to ride it like you find it
B7 E
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line
E
Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,
B7
Rock Island Line is the road to ride
E
Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Well if you ride, you got to ride it like you find it
B7 E
Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line
Joe at countrytabs.com
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I don’t think I ever heard this as a recording on an album, but every time I ever heard it growing up at many sing alongs, it had two full verses as opposed
to the verse fragments you have listed. I don’t which is accurate, but this is the way I’ve always heard it. What do you think? The verses are like this:
[E] Well it’s cloudy in the west, an’ it looks like rain
[B7] Around the bend comes a passenger train
Northbound train on a southbound track
[B7single strrum] Might be leavin’ but it won’t be back
Resume [E] and then the chorus as you have it
Then the next verse goes like this:
[E] Well the engineer said before I die
There’s [B7] two more drinks that I’d like to try
Conductor said what could they be
A [B7 single strum] hot cup of coffee an’ a cold glass of tea
Then continue on with the rest of the song as you have it.
One exception. Isn’t the last line of the chorus supposed to say “Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line” as opposed to “Get stickin’ to the station” ?
Glad you posted this song. It's a fun one.
-rakinqa | 3/17/2004 | The version given here is a correct version. Johnny often used the one shown here in his live shows. Also, Rock Island Line was recorded on several of his albums. All the verses shown by both of you are verses he used. Nice work from both of you.
-LarryGarrett | 3/28/2004 | In my favorite version of the song, the intro goes like this:
Now this here's a story 'bout the Rock Island Line.
Well the Rock Island Line she runs down into New Orleans.
There's a big tollgate down there and you know if you got certain things
on board when you go through the tollgate,
well you don't have to pay the tollgate man no toll.
Well the train driver he pulled up to the tollgate and the man hollered
and asked him what all he had on board and he said,
"I got livestock, I got livestock, I got cows, I got pigs, I got sheep, I got mules,
I got allllllll, livestock"
Well they said, "You all right boy, you don't have to pay no toll
you can just right on through."
So he went on through the tollgate
and as he went through he started pickin' up a little bit of speed;
pickin' up a little bit of steam
He got on through; he turned look back at the man; he said,
"Well I fooled you, I fooled you, I got pig iron, I got pig iron, I got alllll pig iron."
Also, before the verse about the hot coffee and cold tea, there was sometimes a line "Well I may be right and I may be wrong/But you're gonna miss me when I'm gone"
-zeytoun | 1/13/2005 | there is version on the cd ( Johnny Cash A Heart of a Legend ) has the version zeytoun mentioned comes in 3 disc pack
-kevthom | 11/22/2005 | i bought the cash 3 cd pack... and it the second to last comment is right. so its only 2 chords? i'd like to learn to play this song... because it sounds cool.
-MeanEyedCat | 2/10/2006 | If you're interested, Leadbelly has a version which also includes the lines (as two-line fragments like you've posted):
I may be right and I may be wrong,
know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
chorus
Jesus died to save our sins
Going to heaven gonna meet him again
Thanks for posting this, I haven't heard Cash's version but from what you've posted it sounds similar. Cheers
-jamesvaux1 | 2/18/2006 | I used to listen to this song on an old "sun records" record that my ma had and zeytoun got it right on the money, it dont matter how its tabbed just play it how you know it. good job everone thanks!
-ledouxit | 2/8/2009 |
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on 4/16/03 
