"The Wabash Cannonball" is an American folk song about a fictional train, thought to have originated in the late nineteenth century. Its first documented appearance was on sheet music published in 1882, titled "The Great Rock Island Route" and credited to J. A. Roff. All subsequent versions contain a variation of the chorus:
A rewritten version by William Kindt appeared in 1904 under the title "Wabash Cannon Ball".[1]
The Carter Family made one of the first recordings of the song in 1929, though it was not released until 1932. Another popular version was recorded by Roy Acuff in 1936.[1] The Acuff version is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.
It is a signature song of the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjack Marching Band, the Kansas State University Marching Band, the University of Texas Longhorn Band, and of the Indiana State University Marching Sycamores, as ISU is close to the Wabash River. It was also used as the theme song by the USS Wabash (AOR-5).
The song "The Wabash Cannonball" is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[2]
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In addition to The Carter Family's 1929 recording and Roy Acuff's 1936 recording, many hillbilly artists recorded "The Wabash Cannonball" during the Great Depression era of the 1930s and 1940s, and the song was also recorded by Piedmont Blues legend Blind Willie McTell. Bing Crosby recorded the song for his album "Bing Crosby Sings The Great Country Hits". The song increased in popularity during this time.
There are many theories of the origin of "The Wabash Cannonball". Utah Phillips states that hobos imagined a mythical train called the "Wabash Cannonball" which was a "death coach" that appeared at the death of a hobo to carry his soul to its reward. The song was then created, with the lyrics and music telling the story of the train. Another theory [3] states that the song is based on a tall tale in which Cal S. Bunyan, Paul Bunyan's brother, constructed a railroad known as the Ireland, Jerusalem, Australian & Southern Michigan Line. After two months of service, the 700-car train was traveling so fast that it arrived at its destination an hour before its departure. Finally, the train took off so fast that it rushed in to outer space, and for all is known, it is still traveling through space. When the hobos learned of this train, they called her the "Wabash Cannonball" and said that every station in America had heard her whistle.
In the wake of the song's popularity, the Wabash Railroad named its express run between Detroit and St. Louis as the Wabash Cannon Ball in 1949, the only actual train to bear the name, which it carried until discontinued in 1971.[4] However, the train was named after the song, not the other way around.
A roller coaster at the now-defunct Opryland USA theme park was titled after the song as well.
The lyrics as performed by The Carter Family in their 1929 recording:
Verse:
Verse:
Chorus:
Verse:
Verse:
Chorus:
Many variations of the lyrics exist, including:[5][6]
The Wabash Cannonball (arranged by Joel Leach) is known as the unofficial "second" fight song of Kansas State University, having been played since the late 1960s. It was the only piece of sheet music rescued from the KSU music department in the Nichols Hall fire of 1968, and grew in popularity with students and fans. The Kansas State University Marching Band says that "the Wabash Cannonball has come to represent the survival of the underdog in the hearts and minds of all true K-State fans, and has earned a secure place in the KSUMB's history and traditions."[8] Currently Kansas State is the prime contributing player of the song and most noted with Big 12 fans and spectators.
The University of Texas Longhorn Band plays the song at the beginning of every fourth quarter during football season. The tradition began when Texas was in the Southwest Conference and Kansas State University was in the Big 8 Conference. Texas band director Vincent R. DiNino once asked football coach Darrell K. Royal if he had any songs he would like to hear the Longhorn Band play. His response was that they didn't play enough country music and that he would like to hear Wabash Cannonball. 'Band rivalry' has developed since both schools joined the Big 12 Conference.
In 1951, Jesse Rogers adapted "Wabash Cannonball" into "Jukebox Cannonball" by retaining the original melody but replacing it with a new set of lyrics. Many recordings of this song were made in the early 1950s, primarily by artists from the New York-Pennsylvania region, including Rogers himself, Ray Whitley, and Rex Zario. Bill Haley and The Saddlemen (later known as The Comets) also had a minor hit with the song in 1952, which was considered an early example of rockabilly. Haley re-recorded the song in 1979.
A version recorded by truckin' music/country star Dick Curless is an ode to truckers. The first verse is: "This proud and mighty nation will sing forever more of pioneers, brave engineers, and heroes by the score but the world of transportation has its own breed just as great they're the men of steel behind the wheel of the big rigs hauling freight"
In the third season (1952–53) of I Love Lucy, Ernie Ford sang a rendition of the song in the episodes "Tennessee Ernie Visits" and "Tennessee Ernie Hangs On".
The Wabash Cannonball is among several classic train songs featured in The Moody Brothers Grammy nominated instrumental "The Great Train Song Medley."
Lonnie Donegan recorded a version of the song for his 1956 album, Lonnie Donegan Showcase.
An arrangement of "Wabash Cannonball" was recorded by Robert Fripp & The League Of Crafty Guitarists on their album Intergalactic Boogie Express: Live in Europe....
The Dustbowl Balladeer's "Grand Coulee Dam" — one of several songs he wrote about the largest concrete structure in the United States — is a rework of the "Wabash Cannonball".
Chorus:
"She" is the Columbia River. The song is really an ode to the river as much as the dam - rather like the way some popular versions of the "Wabash Cannonball" seem to be as much about that tall glamorous girl from Tennessee, as about the train.
Guthrie also composed another song—"Farmer-Labor Train"—with the same melody.
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