“The Cannonball”
Description
Floating verses; singer says he will catch the train called the Cannonball (from Buffalo to Washington), his girl left him, and he's leaving her. More or less.
Cross references
- cf. "Mister McKinley (White House Blues)" (words, tune)
- cf. "Joking Henry" (tune)
- cf. "That Lonesome Train Took My Baby Away" (floating verses)
Recordings
- The Carter Family, "The Cannon Ball" (Victor V-40317/Bluebird 6020/Montgomery Ward 4742, 1930)
- Kilby Snow, "The Cannonball" (on KSnow1)
References
- Cohen-LSRail, pp. 413-425, "Cannonball Blues/Whitehouse Blues" (2 texts, 2 tunes, the first being "Mister McKinley (White House Blues)" and the second the "Cannonball Blues," plus a version of a song called "Mr. McKinley" from _The Week-End Book_, which is so different that I would regard it as a separate though perhaps related song, probably not traditional)
- Cohen/Seeger/Wood, pp. 116-117, "The Cannonball" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Botkin-RailFolklr, p. 463, "Cannonball Blues" (1 text, 1 tune)
- DT, (CANONBL3 adapted by Bruce Phillips?)
- Roud #4759
- BI, CSW116