This song was covered by many artists but is credited to J.A. Roff, who had it written a
of sheet music published in 1882 called "The Great Rock Island Route." The lyrics vary
by artist.
I tabbed this from sheet music that was in my Basic Musicianship textbook titled "A
Approach to Music Fundamentals" by William Duckworth; Ninth Edition. Only the beginning to
first mention of the Wabash Cannonball was written in the book.
*The tab follows the lyrics
*Key of G Major
Chords: G C 3/4rest E E Q Q Q Q Q H E E Q Q Q Q 3/4 note Qe|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|B|------------|------------|0--3----3-3-|0--0--------|------------|G|4-----------|------0--2--|------------|------2--0--|------------|D|4-------0-0-|0--0--------|------------|------------|---------2--|A|------------|------------|------------|------------|3-----------|E|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|Book lyrics: From the great Atlantic Ocean, to the wide Pacific shore, The
D G Q Q Q Q Q H E E Q Q Q Q 3/4 note Q Q Q Q Qe|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|B|------------|0-----------|------------|------------|------------|G|---------2--|---2----2-2-|---0--------|------------|------0--2--|D|0--0--4-----|------------|4-----4--2--|0--------0--|0--0--------|A|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|E|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
Queen of the flowing mountains, to the South Belle by the door, She's mighty tall and C D Q H Q Q Q Q Q 3/4note E E E E Q Q Q Q H Qe|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|B|0--3-----3--|0--0--------|------------|------------|0-----------|G|------------|------2--0--|------------|----------2-|---2-----2--|D|------------|------------|--------2-2-|0-0-0--4----|------------|A|------------|------------|3-----------|------------|------------|E|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------| handsome, she's known quite well by all, She's a regular combination, the
G Q Q Q Q 3/4 notee|------------|------------|B|------------|------------|G|------------|0-----------|D|4--0--2--4--|------------|A|------------|------------|E|------------|------------| Wabash Cannonball
Roy Acuff lyrics:
CHORUS:
Listen to the jingle the rumble and the roar as she glides along the woodland
ore the hills and by the shore
hear the rush of the mighty engine hear the lonesome hobos call
he's riding through the jungle on the Wabash cannon ball
VERSE
now the western states are dandies so the southern people say from Chicago
and St. Louis
and Peoria by the way
to the lake of Minnesota where the rippling waters flow no chances to be
taken on
the Wabash cannon ball
VERSE
she pulled in to the station one cold December day
as she rolled up to the platform you could hear all the people say
now theirs a gal from Birmingham she's Elong and she's tall she came down
from Georgia
on the Wabash cannon ball
VERSE
now heres to daddy claxton may his name forever stand
and always be remembered in the courts of all the land
his earthly race is over and as the curtain falls
we'll carry him back to Dixie on the Wabash cannon ball
Wabash Cannonball
Johhny Cash lyrics:
From the great Atlantic ocean to the wide Pacific shore
She climbs a flowery mountains for the hills and by the shore
She's mighty tall and handsome she's known quite well by all
She's a regular combination on the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle the rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodland through the hills and by the shore
Hear the mighty rush of the engine hear those lonesome hoboes call
Traveling through the jungle on the Wabash Cannonball
[ guitar ]
Well she came down from Birmingham one cold December day
As she pulled into the station you could hear all the people say
She's from Tennessee she's long and she's tall
She came down from Birmingham on the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle...
[ dobro ]
Here's to daddy Claxton may his name forever stand
And always be remembered in the courts throughout the land
His earthly race is over and the curtains round him fall
We'll carry him home to Dixie on the Wabash Cannonball
Listen to the jingle
