Railroad Bill
Song Information
Song Title
Railroad Bill
Song Origin
Cover
Written By
Traditional
Made Famous By
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Song Stats
Shortest Version
03:16 (2023-03-08)
Longest Version
04:46 (2023-10-31)
Total Times Played
17
Longest Gap
2024-05-3090 2025-02-17
Longest Streak
2023-03-023 2023-03-04
Song Charts
Shows with Railroad Bill
  • Kenny's Westside Pub - Peoria, Illinois 2025-03-06
    Set One
    Act Naturally , Good Old American Guest, Foggy Mountain Top, Gotta Get Southbound, Faded Lovin', Yonder, Sugar Shack 1, See Through
    Set Two
    Workin' Man Blues, Walkin’ The Dog, Sittin' On Top Of World > , Arkansas Traveler, Broadside Ballad > , Hangman's Reel, Free Wheelin' > 2, Everybody's Talkin' > , Weathervane, Are You Ready For The Country, Chore
    Encore
    Railroad Bill, Honky Tonkin’
  • Troubadour - West Hollywood, California 2025-02-17
    Set One
    Rose In A Garden, Railroad Bill, Walkin’ The Dog, Broadside Ballad > , Hangman's Reel, Drivin' Nails In My Coffin, Sittin' On Top Of World, The Gold Rush 1, Lose Your Mind > , Waymore's Blues > , Mystery Train
    Set Two
    Chore 2, Free Wheelin' > 3, Everybody's Talkin' > , Weathervane > , Blue Skies > , Weathervane (Reprise) , Take Me Back 4, Dance In The Desert 2
    Encore
    Dark Hollow 5
  • Clyde Theatre - Fort Wayne, Indiana 2024-05-30
    Set One
    Railroad Bill, Drivin' Nails In My Coffin, Translation, Sittin' On Top Of World, Hi-Country, Free Wheelin' 1, Everybody's Talkin' > , Weathervane > , Valhalla > , Weathervane (Reprise)
    Set Two
    I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Rose In A Garden, Darlin’ Cory, Doggone Cowboy, Ghost Riders In The Sky (Instrumental), Sugar Shack 2, Lose Your Mind, Chore
    Encore
    Barbara Ann 3, Sunshine In The Rain (Strange Presence)
  • Rose Music Hall - Columbia, Missouri 2024-05-19
    Set One
    Truck Drivin' Man, Rose In A Garden, Waitin' For A Train > , Railroad Bill, Translation, Sugar Shack 1, Down Bedford, Ten Feet Of Rope > 2, Double Exposure
    Set Two
    Lady Justice, Lose Your Mind > , Luck Of The Draw > , Sugar Leg Rag, Forgotten Days > , Valhalla > , Gotta Get Southbound > , Weathervane > , Blue Skies > , Gotta Get Southbound (Reprise) > , Valhalla (Reprise) > , Weathervane (Reprise) , Knockin' On Heaven's Door
  • Revival Music Hall - Peoria, Illinois 2024-03-21
    Set One
    Better Deal Blues, Forgotten Days > , Boogie Man, Halfway (In Between), Free Wheelin' > 1, Everybody's Talkin' > , Weathervane > , Blue Skies > , Weathervane (Reprise)
    Set Two
    Locomotive #9, Rose In A Garden, Railroad Bill, Running Gun (FTP) , Broadside Ballad > , Hangman's Reel, Sugar Shack 2, Luck Of The Draw > , Sugar Leg Rag, Passing Storm
  • Salvage Station - Asheville, North Carolina 2024-02-18
    Set One
    Rose In A Garden, Good Old American Guest, Darlin’ Cory > , Ghost Riders In The Sky (Instrumental), The Midnight Special 1, Sunshine In The Rain (Strange Presence), Passing Storm, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Railroad Bill, Broadside Ballad > , Hangman's Reel, Ten Feet Of Rope > 2, Double Exposure > 3, Angel From Montgomery, Sugar Shack 4
    Encore
    Chore
  • Portland House Of Music - Portland, Maine 2024-02-07
    Set One
    Sunshine In The Rain (Strange Presence), Halfway (In Between), Railroad Bill, 'Til The Daylight, Workin' Man Blues, Down By The Riverside 1, Lose Your Mind > , Waymore's Blues > , Mystery Train
    Set Two
    Forgotten Days > , Valhalla > , Ride Me High, Free Wheelin' > 2, Weathervane, Ain’t Living Long Like This, Ten Feet Of Rope > 2, Double Exposure 3
  • Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, Colorado 2024-01-06
    Set One
    Why You Been Gone So Long, Cigar Time, Forgotten Days > , Luck Of The Draw > , Sugar Leg Rag, Railroad Bill, Locomotive #9 > , Rose In A Garden, Doggone Cowboy > , Ghost Riders In The Sky (Instrumental)
    Set Two
    Justice > , Jessica > , Boogie Man, Free Wheelin' > 1, Everybody's Talkin' > , Weathervane > , Blue Skies > , Weathervane (Reprise) , Sugar Shack 2, Ten Feet Of Rope > 1, Dance In The Desert 3
  • Victory North - Savannah, Georgia 2023-12-01
    Set One
    Locomotive #9, Half Moon Night, Railroad Bill, Broadside Ballad > , Hangman's Reel, Doggone Cowboy > , Ghost Riders In The Sky (Instrumental), Got My Mojo Workin' 1, Halfway (In Between), Forgotten Days > , Free Wheelin' 2, Tumbling Tumbleweeds > , Dance In The Desert 3
    Encore
    Darlin’ Cory > , Arkansas Traveler
  • Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2023-10-31 1
    Set One 2
    Weathervane > , Luck Of The Draw > , Sugar Leg Rag > , Ten Feet Of Rope > 3 4, Double Exposure > 5, Down Bedford
    Set Two
    I’ve Been Working On The Railroad (FTP) 6, Nighttime In The Switching Yard (FTP) , The Midnight Special 7, Good Old American Guest (FTP) , Freight Train Boogie (FTP) , Night Train To Memphis, Railroad Bill, When The Golden Train Comes Down, Waitin' For A Train, Slow Train (FTP) , Crazy Train (FTP) 3, Long Train Runnin' (FTP) 3, Back On The Train > , Waymore's Blues > , Mystery Train
    Encore
    Tuesday's Gone (FTP) , People Get Ready (FTP) 7
Lyrics

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill

He never worked, and he never will

Ride, ride, ride


Early one morning, standing in the rain

Around a curb come a long freight train

Ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill, he ain't so bad

Whooped his mammy, shot a round in his dad

Ride, ride, ride


Railroad Bill, a-comin' home soon

Killed McMillan by the light of the moon

Ride, ride, ride

McMillan had a special train

When he got there it was Spring

Ride, ride, ride


Kill me a chicken, send me the wing

They think I'm working, Lord, I ain't doin' a thing

Ride, ride, ride

Kill me a chicken, send me the head

Think I'm working, Lord, I'm laying in bed

Ride, ride, ride


Railroad Bill, mighty bad man

Shot the lantern right out of that poor brakeman's hand

Ride, ride, ride

Got a great, long pistol, 'bout as long as your arm

I'm gonna shoot everybody ever done me harm

Ride, ride, ride


Railroad Bill, sitting on on a hill

Lighting cigars with a ten-dollar bill

Ride, ride, ride


Got a .38 special on a .45 frame

How can I miss when I got dead aim?

Ride, ride, ride


Railroad Bill, mighty bad man

Shot the lantern right out of that poor brakeman's hand

Ride, ride, ride

Gonna drink my whiskey, drink it in the wind

The doctor said it'd kill me but he didn't say when

Ride, ride, ride