Now this here's the story about the Rock Island Line
Well the Rock Island Line she runs down into New Orleans
There's a big toll gate down there
And you know if you got certain things on board
When you go through the toll gate
Well you don't have to pay the man no toll
Well the train driver he pulled up to the toll gate
And the man hollered and asked him
What all he had on board and he said
"I got live stock, I got live stock
I got cows, I got pigs, I got sheep, I got mules
I got all live stock"
Well he said "You all right boy
You don't have to pay no toll
You can 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
He looked 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
She's a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line
It's a road to ride
The Rock Island Line
It's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it
Like you find it
Get your ticket at the station
For the Rock Island Line
Oh cloudy in the west
And it looked like rain
Around the curve
Come a passenger train
North bound train
On the south bound track
He did alright leaving
But he won't be back
Well the Rock Island Line
It's a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line
It's a road to ride
The Rock Island Line
It's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it
Like you find it
Get your ticket at the station
For the Rock Island Line
Oh I may be right
And I may be wrong
But you gonna miss me
When I'm gone
Well the engineer said
Before he died
That there were two more drinks
That he'd like to try
Conductor said "What could they be?"
A hot cup of coffee
And a cold glass of tea
Well the Rock Island Line
She's a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line
It's a road to ride
The Rock Island Line
It's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it
Like you find it
Get your ticket at the station
For the Rock Island Line