Rock Island Line (Live) | Johnny Cash Official Site

Songwriter: John R. Cash

Lyrics

Now, this here’s the story of the Rock Island Line
The Rock Island line, she runs down into New Orleans
There’s a big toll gate down there
And, y’ know, if you got certain things on board
When you go through the toll gate
Where you don’t have to pay the man all toll
Well, the train driver, he pulled up to the toll gate
The man only asked him what 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 alright, boy
You don’t have to pay no toll
You just go right on through”
So, he went on through the toll gate, and as he went through
He started picking up a little bit of speed
Picking up a little bit of steam
He got on through he turned a look back to the man, he said
“Well, I fooled you, I fooled you
I got pig iron, I got pig iron
I got all pig iron”

Down the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line, it’s the road to ride
The Rock Island Line, it’s a mighty good road
Well, if you want to ride you gotta ride like you find it
Get your ticket at the station of the Rock Island Line

It was cloudy in the west, looked like rain,
But round the corner come-a passenger train.
North-bound train on the south-bound track,
You were all right a-leavin but you won’t be back

Well, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line, it’s the road to ride
The Rock Island Line, it’s a mighty good road
Well, if you want to ride you gotta ride like you find it
Get your ticket at the station of the Rock Island Line

Now 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 he’d like to have tried,
The doctor asked him “what could they be?”
He said “a hot cup of coffee and cold glass of tea”