Now this here?s a story about 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 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 all livestock?
Well, he said, ?You?re all right, boy. You don?t have to pay no toll. You just go right on through.?
So he went on through the tollgate
And as he went through, he started pickin? up a little bid of speed,
Pickin? up a little bit of steam;
He got on through, and turned and looked back at the man and said,
?Well, I fooled you, I fooled you,
I got pig iron, I got pig iron,
I got all pig iron.?
CHORUS
Down the Rock Island Line, she?s a mighty good road
Rock Island Line, it?s the road to ride
Rock Island Line, it?s a mighty good road
Well, if you ride it, you gotta ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Oh, cloudy in the west and it looks like rain
?Round the curve comes a passenger train
Northbound train on a southbound track
He?s allright a-leavin? but he won?t be back
REPEAT CHORUS
Whoa! I may be right and I may be wrong, but you?re gonna miss me when I?m gone
Well, the engineer said before he died
There were two more drinks that he?d like to try
Conductor said, ?What could they be??
?A hot cup of coffee and a cold glass of tea.?
REPEAT CHORUS