Alan Lomax first recorded this song in an Arkansas prison in 1934. Leadbelly arranged it for guitar and recorded it in the 40’s, and it’s since been recorded extensively, as it’s quite a song. Originally it was done a cappella. Leadbelly introduces this up-beat song with a long-winded story about a train engineer declaring the contents of his train to be livestock instead of pig iron (which would have incurred a high tax or railroad fee), so it’s a light-hearted song, what with all the livestock and all.
The old Rock Island Line railroad, one of the early ones in the Chicago area, was bought out in the 1980’s. Too bad about the railroad. Anyhow, “If you wants to ride ya gotta ride it like ya find it. Get your ticket at the station if you wanna ride the Rock Island Line”. Click here to hear Bumbas have a go at it on two tracks (no pun intended, well, not really).
An Occasional Story 
dear Bumba = Stephen Baum,
you inspired me very much with your book
UP IN THE BRONX
and though I like your music
(and I play guitar as well, as you know)
I’m happy that I now managed, to put WORDS into the focus –
though music (or photography) are very attractive too.
But maybe storytelling (and giving feedbacks) is the basic human joy.
If I had to go into a hospital for the last months of my life
I could carry a book with me – no guitar,
camera, PC – but this book:
http://www.blurb.com/b/4264433-fragments-and-feedbacks-2013-04-29
fragments and feedbacks – in the blog flickrcomments
Loved it. Thank you 🙂
Eric,
Thank you. I’ve been looking at your blog and enjoying the reading too.