Rock Island Line chords by Stan Freberg

SimplifiedC · G · F

GuitarPianoUkulele

Verse 1
C 
Now here's a story about the
Rock
Island
Line.
Now the
Rock
Island
Line, she runs down into
New
Orleans, and just outside of
New
Orleans, there's a big turtle gate.
And all the trains that go through
the turtle
Pardon me, are you going to sing the song,
or read it, or what?
Well, I'm going to sing it, but first I always tell a little bit
the story behind the
rock -and -roll line.
Sort of sketch in a little background,
as it were.
You are going to sing it?
In just a second.
I get to it.
Well, let's get to it then, huh?
Okay.
And all the trains that go to the toll gate,
why, they got to pay the man some money.
But, of course, if you got certain things on board, you're
okay.
You don't have to pay the man.
mean, you're okay.
You're okay with him.
mean, you got certain things on
All
step right along here.
Let's snap it up.
Okay.
Now, just now we see a train.
She's coming down the line,
and when she comes up to the tow gate, the driver, shouts down at the man, he says,
I got pigs, I got horses,
I got cows,
Look, you can skip all of that.
You never let me name all the
animals.
Yes, I know,
but we don't need
Then let me get to the sheep.
Well, that doesn't make any difference.
Well, it makes a difference to the sheep.
Yes, I know, but let's get the train
rhythm going here.
Never mind the sheep.
Okay, after the driver, he says,
I got a whole life's stock, I got a whole life's
stock, I got a whole life's stock
Good man say, well, you're all right,
boy, you can run three minutes to pay me nothing, I mean, you know
Look, fella, look, I know,
but let's skip the recitation, huh?
Okay, but,
Let's get to the meat of it
Okay, I've come to the best part
now, where the driver foo him
He foo him?
Yeah, he say, I fooed you, I fooed you
Well, look, let's just sing the song,
Well, you know, let me get to the pig -iron
part, it's the payoff for the, uh...
I think you ought to let me tell how to haifu
the tolgate man with a pig iron.
Will you just sing the song, please?
big reaction to it in clubs and a
lot of people waiting to see how the story
come
Will you just sing the song?
Well, you're going to disappoint
them, that's all.
I'll take the chance.
Okay, here we go.
On the
Rock
Island line, here's a mighty good road.
On the
Rock
Island...
You sure you don't want the
pig iron part?
Forget it.
Will you forget it?
Okay.
G 
The line is a line to ride.
C 
On the
Rock
Island line, here's
a mighty good road.
F 
Well, if you want to ride, you got to
C 
ride it like you're fine.
F 
I got your ticket at the station for
G 
the rock -a -lee -line
C 
Look,
Mumbles, hey
Mumbles, what is this?
Get your chicken at the station?
ticket, get your ticket at the station
Oh, get your ticket
Gee,
Wes, try not to interrupt me, huh?
A,
B,
C,
W,
X,
Y,
Z
G 
The cat's in the
C 
cupboard but he don't see me
Now, wait a minute, wait a
Don't scare me away
Wait a minute, wait
The
A,
B,
C,
W,
X,
Y,
Z with the cat's in the cupboard
I don't know, what has the
A,
B,
C got to do with the cat's in
the cupboard?
What's it got to do with it?
I know, is it a social significance of
some kind?
it's just a traditional lyric.
It's a traditional lyric?
yeah.
Well, thanks very much.
That'll be fine.
G 
C 
F 
I got one more chorus.
C 
F 
G 
C 
Is that it?
That's the end?
Yeah, that's it. I just hope it sells without
the pig iron part.
Forget about the pig -eyeing part.
I'm just trying to sketch in a little
background.
That's all.
Yes, I know, sketch
C 
in the background.
You're going to release the record?
No, I don't think so.
OK.
OK.