Lyr Req: Railroadin' Some (Henry Thomas)

Subject: Lyr Req: Railroadin' some (henry thomas)
From: Marco
Date: 20 May 05 - 03:19 AM

Hi, Mudcatters!

I'm looking for the lyrics of the song "Railroadin' some" (Henry Thomas) from the original record (around 1927) and/or Rory Block's version (recorded a loooooot of years later!).
The lyrics are very simple but the problem is to understand the names of ALL the places/towns listed by the singer.

Many thanks for help.

Subject: Lyr Add: RAILROADIN' SOME (Henry Thomas)
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 20 May 05 - 04:38 AM

RAILROADIN' SOME - Henry Thomas (7 October 1929)

I leave Fort Worth, Texas and go to Texarkana,
And double back to Fort Worth.
Come on down to Dallas.
Change cars on the Katy.
Coming through the Territory to Kansas City.
And from Kansas City in Missouris.
And Missouri to Chicago.
I'm on my way but I don't know where.

Change cars on the TP.
Leaving Fort Worth, Texas.
Going through Dallas.
Hello Terrell.
Grand Saline.
Silver Lake.
Mineola.
Tyler.
On to Longview.
Jefferson.
Marshall.
Little Sandy.
Big Sandy.
Texarkana.
And double back to Fort Worth.

Change cars on the Katy.
Leaving Dallas, Texas.
Going through Rockwell.
Hello Greenville.
Celeste.
Denison.
South McAlester.
Territory.
Muskogee.
Hello, Wagner.
Parsons, Kansas.
Kansas City.
Sedalia.
Then I change cars and jump into St Louis.

Hello Springfield.
I'm on my way, Chicago.

Bloomington.

Joliet.
Can the High Boiler pass on through?
High Boiler on through, sir.

Grand Crossing.

Thirty-first Street depot.

Polk Street depot.

Chicago.

(Transcription from RR MacLeod, 1988: 248-9)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' some (henry thomas)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 05 - 05:01 AM

Where's the RR MacLeod transcription from, Brian? I think I'd agree with it. The Henry Thomas recording is on the Rounder Night Train CD. Good song.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' some (henry thomas)
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 20 May 05 - 05:36 AM

Joe,

MacLeod has produced a number of volumes of transcriptions, to one to which I refer is:

MacLeod, R. R. 1988. Yazoo 1-20. Edinburgh: PAT Publications

Further details are available on the Bluesworld site.

Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' some (henry thomas)
From: GUEST,Marco
Date: 20 May 05 - 06:45 AM

Many, many thanks friends!!!

You are greats!!!

Marco.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' Some (Henry Thomas)
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 14 - 10:35 PM

High Boiler should be High Baller of course.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' Some (Henry Thomas)
From: GUEST,catherine yronwode
Date: 09 Oct 14 - 10:41 PM

Sorry i did not sign the above comment. Another correction -- Rockwell should be Rockwall. That is the correct spelling of the town in Texas.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' Some (Henry Thomas)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Mar 15 - 10:39 PM

This song is the closing music every week on a Blog Talk Radio show about African American folk magic called "The Now You Know Show," with Professor Charles Porterfield. Nice to see the lyrics here, as folks listening to the show in the BTR chat room often ask.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Railroadin' Some (Henry Thomas)
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 20 Mar 15 - 05:06 AM

A couple of small points. In "verse 1" I think that he says:

And from Kansas City to St Louis
And from St Louis (to) Chicago

and in "verse 3" I don't think that he says "Muskogee". To me it sounds like "Muscola".