Wabash Cannonball
"Wabash Cannonball" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Written | 19th century |
Genre | American folk music, country, bluegrass |
"The Great Rock Island Route", popularized as "Wabash Cannonball" and various other titles, is a
The
The tune is most famously associated with Kansas State University athletics and ESPN in 2016 named it the top Big Twelve football pregame ritual. It is also a signature song of the
The song "The Wabash Cannonball" is part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[2] It is the oldest song on the list.
History
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (January 2022) |
In addition to
Origins
There are many theories of the origin of "The Wabash Cannonball".
Lyrics
Over many years, this popular song's music has remained unchanged while the verses have been updated by song artists. As early as 1882, sheet music titled "The Great Rock Island Route" was credited to J. A. Roff. This version and all subsequent versions contain a variation of this chorus:
Now listen to the jingle, and the rumble, and the roar,
As she dashes thro' the woodland, and speeds along the shore,
See the mighty rushing engine, hear her merry bell ring out,
As they speed along in safety, on the "Great Rock-Island Route."
A more modern version of this chorus (these lyrics sung by Boxcar Willie) is:[3]
Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland o'er the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear the lonesome hobo's call
As you travel across the country on the Wabash Cannonball
A rewritten version by William Kindt appeared in 1904 under the title "Wabash Cannon Ball".[1]
Namesakes
In the wake of the song's popularity, the
Use in collegiate sports
"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,[5] 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."[6] Currently Kansas State is the prime contributing player of the song and most noted with Big 12 fans and spectators.
The
At Stephen F. Austin State University, the Twirl-O-Jacks traditionally perform to the tune as played by the Lumberjack Marching Band at the beginning of each football game. The band has also been known to play excerpts from the song during various sporting events.
Other recordings
Woody Guthrie, as the Dustbowl Balladeer, adapted the song for his "Grand Coulee Dam", one of several songs he wrote about the largest concrete structure in the U.S.[citation needed] He also composed another song, "Farmer-Labor Train", with the same melody. On August 29, 1942, he performed "The Farmer-Labor Train" on the AFL- and CIO-sponsored 15-minute weekly radio show "Labor for Victory" on NBC Radio.[7] In 1948, he transformed the "Wabash Cannonball" again into "The Wallace-Taylor Train" for the 1948 Progressive National Convention, which nominated former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace for president.[8] Alistair Cooke noted some verses:
Lumberjacks and teamsters,
And sailors from the sea,
And there's fighting boys from Texas
And the hills of Tennessee,
There's miners from Kentucky
And there's fishermen from Maine,
All a-ridin' with us
On this Wallace-Taylor train.[9]
Baseball pitcher / "Game of the Week" sportscaster Dizzy Dean, while on the air during rain delays was famous for off-key renditions of the "Wabash Cannonball."
See also
References
- ^ a b "Wabash Cannonball, The". California State University, Fresno.
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Wabash Cannonball". Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- OCLC 44089438.
- ^ "Nichols Hall story". Kansas State University.
- ^ "Welcome to Kansas State University Bands!". Kansas State University Bands.
- ^ "Radio: Labor Goes on Air". time. April 20, 1942. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- ^
John S. Partington, ed. (September 17, 2016). The Life, Music and Thought of Woody Guthrie: A Critical Appraisal. Routledge. ISBN 9781317025443. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- ^
Cooke, Alistair (1978). Six Men. Penguin Books. pp. 111–112. ISBN 9781497697782. Retrieved September 10, 2017.