“The Wabash Cannonball”
Description
In praise of the amazing Wabash Cannonball, a train which can apparently accomplish anything. The song mentions various places the train visits and the impression it makes on the townsfolk. It may close with a eulogy for "Daddy Claxton"
Same tune
- "Hail! Ye Brave Industrial Workers" (Greenway-AFP, p. 178)
- "We Work for Hay and Company" (File: FowL26)
- The Grand Coulee Dam (by Woody Guthrie) (Greenway-AFP, pp. 292-293; DT, GRNCOULE)
- Delmore Brothers, "New Wabash Cannon Ball Blues" (Bluebird B-8404, 1940)
- Delmore Brothers, "Gospel Cannon Ball" (Decca 5970, 1941)
- Charles Stowe, "Carolina Cannonball" (on OBanks1)
Cross references
- cf. "The Gatesville Cannonball" (tune)
- cf. "We Work for Hay and Company" (tune)
- cf. "The Boys at Ninety-Five" (tune)
- cf. "The Gospel Cannonball" (lyrics)
Recordings
- Roy Acuff & his Crazy Tennesseeans, "Wabash Cannonball" ((Vocalion/OKeh 04466/Conqueror 9121/Conqueror 9128, 1938; rec. 1936) [despite the band title, Dynamite Hatcher sang lead on this recording]
- Roy Acuff & his Smoky Mountain Boys, "Wabash Cannonball" (Columbia 37008/Columbia 37598/Columbia 20034, 1947) [Note: Some pressings of these issues used the Vocalion/OKeh master listed above]
- Bill Carlisle, "Wabash Cannon Ball" (Decca 5713 [as Bill Carlisle's Kentucky Boys]/Melotone [probably Can.] 45326, 1939)
- The Carter Family, "Wabash Cannonball" (Victor 23731, 1932; Montgomery Ward M-7444, 1938; Bluebird B-8350, 1940; rec. 1929)
- Clark & Edans, "Wabash Cannonball" (Gennett, unissued, 1928)
- Hugh Cross, "Wabash Cannonball" (Columbia 15439-D, 1929)
- Delmore Brothers, "The Cannon Ball" (Bluebird B-7991, 1939; rec. 1938)
- Roy Hall & his Blue Ridge Entertainers, "Wabash Cannonball" (Vocalion 04717/Conqueror 9230, 1938)
- Bill Mooney & his Cactus Twisters, "Wabash Cannonball" (Imperial 1150, n.d.)
- Morris Brothers, "Wabash Cannonball - No. 2" (Bluebird B-8252, 1939)
- Pete Seeger, "Wabash Cannonball" (on PeteSeeger17)
- Art Thieme, "Wabash Cannonball" (on Thieme04)
- Doc Watson, "Wabash Cannonball" (on RitchieWatson1, RitchieWatsonCD1)
- Mac Wiseman, "Wabash Cannonball" (Dot 1262, 1950s)
References
- Cohen-LSRail, pp. 373-381, "The Wabash Cannonball" (2 texts, one of them Kindt's, plus a text and sheet music cover of Roff's "The Great Rock Island Route," 1 tune)
- Randolph 840, "The Wabash Cannonball" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Randolph/Cohen, pp. 385-386, "The Wabash Cannonball" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 840)
- Lomax-FSNA 220, "The Wabash Cannon Ball" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Botkin-RailFolklr, p. 462, "The Wabash Cannonball" (1 text, 1 tune)
- PSeeger-AFB, p. 85, "Wabash Cannonball" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Silber-FSWB, p. 100 "The Wabash Cannonball" (1 text)
- DT, WABASHCB*
- Roud #4228
- BI, R840