Rock Island Line

Rock Island Line

(SF)
Now this here's the story about the Rock Island Line.
Now the Rock Island Line, she run down to New-w-w Orleans
And just outside of New Orleans there's a big toll gate
And all the trains

(PL)
Pardon me, pardon me just a moment, pardon me?

(SF)
Yeah?

(PL)
Are you going to sing the song, or read it, or what?

(SF)
Well, I'm gon' sing it,
but first I always tell a little bit of the story behind the Rock
Island Line.
Sort of sketch in a little ... a little background, as it were...

(PL)
You ARE going to sing, though?

(SF)
Oh, yeah, in just a second, I'll get to it.

(PL)
Well, let's get to it then, huh?

(SF)
Okay...
And all the trains that go through the tollgate
Why they, they got to pay the man some money
But of course, if you got certain things on board
Ya, okay... you have to pay the man on it
Ya, okay, okay with him. I mean you got certain things on board

(PL)
All right, let's step right along here, let's snap it up.

(SF)
Okay.
Now just now we see a train she's comin' down the line
And when she come up on the toll gate,
The driver, he shout down to the man, he say,
"I got pigs. I got horses. I got cows. I got..."

(PL)

(SF)
You didn't let me name all the animals.

(PL)
Yes, I know. But we don't need that.

(SF)
You didn't let me get to the sheep.

(PL)
Well, that doesn't make any difference.

(SF)
Well... it makes a difference to the sheep!

(PL)
Yes, I know,
but let's get the train rhythm going. And never mind the sheep.

(SF)
Okay.
After the driver he say,
"I got all that stuff,
I got all that stuff, I got all-l-l-l that stuff..."
The man say,
"Well, you're all right, boy. You go around here,
you don't have to pay me nothin' I mean, you know

(PL)
Now, look fella... fella?

(SF)
I didn't mention the sheep...

(PL)
Look, look - I know,

(SF)
Okay, I come to the best part now, where the driver foo him.

(PL)
He "foo" him?

(SF)
Yeah, he say,
"I foo'd you, I foo'd you ..."

(PL)
L-L-Let's just sing the song.

(SF)
Right, you didn't let me get to the pig iron part.
It's the payoff to the, ah... I
think you ought to let me tell how he
foo'd the tollgate man with the pig iron.

(PL)
Will you just sing the song, please?

(SF)
I get a big reaction to it in clubs... and a lot
of people waiting to see how the story come out...

(PL)
Will you just sing the song?

(SF)
Well, you're gonna disappoint 'em, that's all.

(PL)
I'll take the chance.

(SF)
Okay, here we go,
"Oh, the Rock Island Line, is a mighty good road
The Rock I..." – you sure you don't want the pig iron part?

(PL)
Forget it, will ya? Forget it.

(SF)
Okay,
"...the Line – is a line the right
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Well if you wan' to ride it
Gotta ride it like you father
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line"

(PL)
Look, Mumbles? Hey,
Mumbles... what is this? "Get your 'chicken' at the station?"

(SF)
No, your "ticket" – "get your ticket at the station."

(PL)
Oh! Get your TICKET at the station...

(SF)
Gee whiz, try not to interrupt me, huh?
"Oh, ABC, WXYZ, the cat's in the cupboard but he don't see me..."

(PL)
Now wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
The "ABC, WXYZ" with "the cat's in the cupboard"?
What does the ABC have to do with the cat's in the cupboard?

(SF)
Well, it's got nothin' to DO with it...

(PL)
I know, is it a social significance of some kind?

(SF)
No, no, no... it's a traditional lyric...

(PL)
It's a traditional lyric.

(SF)
I don't know, yeah

(PL)
Well, thanks very much, that'll be fine.

(SF)
I got one more chorus
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Oh, the Rock Island Line
Is the one to ride
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Well if you wan' to ride it
Gotta ride it like you father
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line!"

(PL)
Is that it? That's the end?

(SF)
Yeah, that's it. I hope,
I just hope it sells without the pig iron part.

(PL)
Well forget about the pig iron part

(SF)
Well, I'm just trying to sketch in a little background, that's all.

(PL)
Yes, I know. Sketch in the background.

(SF)
Are you gonna release the record?

(PL)
No, I don't think so.

(SF)
Okay.

(PL)
Okay.