Now, mebbe Big Joe did P-Vine blues and switched a couple lines and called it his own, but P-Vine Blues is been around longer than Big Joe even. Charlie Patton did an earlier version of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't even earlier songs celebrating the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Line.

A term such as `peavine' came to be known as general railroad slang for any winding branch line

The Yazoo & Mississippi Valley, also known as the Peavine, Railroad connected Grenada and Greenwood and led to the development of Holcomb. The original line, begun in 1885, ran 15 miles from Greenwood to Parsons. The Parsons station was built in 1886, making Parsons a major cotton shipping point. Grenada merchants, scenting lost business, were behind extension of the line to Grenada in 1900. Taking advantage of this line, Holcomb quickly became a shipping and ginning center. The line ran until 1947, when, on April 10, the Potococowa levee broke above Avalon and washed away a railroad bridge. The bridge was never replaced, and service ended.

Picture yoreself in the hot, still, Mississippi night...all is quiet til in the distance there is a "WOOOHH..WWWOOOOOOOOOOooo" coming at you, fire and smoke blowing outta the stack and sparks coming off the rails. Now wait til it slows at the bend and jump on board and suddenly you're on yore way to Greenwood and the next gig.

If your name is Charlie Patton you might write a song called Peavine Blues. If you're Howlin' Wolf you write Smokestack Lightning as you clatter on down the line.

"WOOOHH..WWWOOOOOOOOOOooo......"

...thought I heard,
thought I heard,
O, that Peavine whistle blow....

Tweed (born in wrong century)