I've Been Working on the Railroad
Encyclopedia
"I've Been Working on the Railroad" is an American
folk
song. The first published version appeared as "Levee Song" in Carmina Princetonia, a book of Princeton University songs published in 1894. The earliest known recording is by the Sandhills Sixteen, released by Victor Records
in 1927.
The 1894 version includes a verse very much like the modern song, though in minstrel
dialect, but with an intro that is no longer sung:
I once did know a girl named Grace-- I'm wukkin' on de levee; She done brung me to dis sad disgrace O' wukkin' on de levee.
The "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah" section is actually an older song that has been absorbed by "I've Been Working on the Railroad". It was published as "Old Joe, or Somebody in the House with Dinah" in London in the 1830s or '40s, with music credited to J.H. Cave. "Dinah" was a generic name for an enslaved African woman. The melody for this section of the song may have been adapted from "Goodnight, Ladies
", written (as "Farewell Ladies") in 1847 by E. P. Christy.
According to the liner notes to Pete Seeger
's Children's Concert at Town Hall (1963), the "Dinah won't you blow" section is a more modern addition, contributed to the song by "some college students".
A high school glee club songbook circa 1947 used this introduction:: I used to have a dog named "Bill": A wukkin' on de lebee: He run away but I'm here still: A wukkin' on de lebee
I've been working on the trestle,
Driving spikes that grip.
I've been working on the trestle,
To be sure the ties won't slip.
Can't you hear the engine coming?
Run to the stanchion of the bridge!
Can't you see the big black smokestack
Coming down the ridge?
Chorus
I've been living in the boxcars.
I'm a hobo now.
I've been living in the boxcars,
Which the yard bulls won't allow.
Brother, can you spare a quarter?
Buy me something good to eat?
Brother, can you spare a nickel,
Till I'm on my feet?
Chorus
I'll be owner of this railroad
One of these here days.
I'll be owner of this railroad,
And I swear, your pay I'll raise.
I'll invite you to my mansion,
Feed you on goose and terrapin.
I'll invite you to the racetrack
When my ship comes in.
Chorus
NHK
introduced this version of the song in 1967 in a TV program called "Minna no Uta
" (Minna no Uta
; Everyone's Songs).
This tune is used at the stations on the Hanshin Electric Railway
Lines (except Umeda Station and Osaka Namba Station) to announce arriving trains and is similarly used at Okayama Station
on the Sanyo Line (for Kamigori and Himeji) and the Ako Line (for Banshu-Ako)
of West Japan Railway Company
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song. The first published version appeared as "Levee Song" in Carmina Princetonia, a book of Princeton University songs published in 1894. The earliest known recording is by the Sandhills Sixteen, released by Victor Records
Victor Talking Machine Company
The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American corporation, the leading American producer of phonographs and phonograph records and one of the leading phonograph companies in the world at the time. It was headquartered in Camden, New Jersey....
in 1927.
Lyrics
The modern version of the song is:- I've been working on the railroad
- All the live-long day.
- I've been working on the railroad
- Just to pass the time away.
- Don't you hear the whistle blowing,
- Rise up so early in the morn;
- Don't you hear the captain shouting,
- "Dinah, blow your horn!"
- Dinah, won't you blow,
- Dinah, won't you blow,
- Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
- Dinah, won't you blow,
- Dinah, won't you blow,
- Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
- Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
- Someone's in the kitchen I know
- Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
- Strummin' on the old banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
!
- Singin' fi, fie, fiddly-i-o
- Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o
- Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o
- Strummin' on the old banjo.
- Someone's makin' love to Dinah
- Someone's making love I know.
- Someone's making love to Dinah
- 'Cause I can't hear the old banjo
The 1894 version includes a verse very much like the modern song, though in minstrel
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
dialect, but with an intro that is no longer sung:
I once did know a girl named Grace-- I'm wukkin' on de levee; She done brung me to dis sad disgrace O' wukkin' on de levee.
- I been wukkin' on de railroad
- All de livelong day,
- I been wukkin' on de railroad
- Ter pass de time away.
- Doan' yuh hyah de whistle blowin'?
- Ris up, so uhly in de mawn;
- Doan' yuh hyah de cap'n shouin',
- "Dinah, blow yo' hawn?"
- Sing a song o' the city;
- Roll dat cotton bale;
- Niggah aint half so happy
- As when he's out o' jail
- NorfolkNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
foh its oystahshells, - BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
foh its beans, - ChahlestonCharleston, South CarolinaCharleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
foh its rice an' cawn, - But foh niggahs New Awleens.
The "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah" section is actually an older song that has been absorbed by "I've Been Working on the Railroad". It was published as "Old Joe, or Somebody in the House with Dinah" in London in the 1830s or '40s, with music credited to J.H. Cave. "Dinah" was a generic name for an enslaved African woman. The melody for this section of the song may have been adapted from "Goodnight, Ladies
Goodnight, Ladies
"Goodnight, Ladies" is a folk song attributed to Edwin Pearce Christy, originally intended to be sung during a minstrel show. Drawing from an 1847 song by Christy entitled "Farewell, Ladies", the song as known today was first published on May 16, 1867....
", written (as "Farewell Ladies") in 1847 by E. P. Christy.
According to the liner notes to Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
's Children's Concert at Town Hall (1963), the "Dinah won't you blow" section is a more modern addition, contributed to the song by "some college students".
A high school glee club songbook circa 1947 used this introduction:: I used to have a dog named "Bill": A wukkin' on de lebee: He run away but I'm here still: A wukkin' on de lebee
Other Extant Stanzas
In one version of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" that is printed in "The Family Car Songbook", researched and edited by Tam Mossman, the song continues as follows:I've been working on the trestle,
Driving spikes that grip.
I've been working on the trestle,
To be sure the ties won't slip.
Can't you hear the engine coming?
Run to the stanchion of the bridge!
Can't you see the big black smokestack
Coming down the ridge?
Chorus
I've been living in the boxcars.
I'm a hobo now.
I've been living in the boxcars,
Which the yard bulls won't allow.
Brother, can you spare a quarter?
Buy me something good to eat?
Brother, can you spare a nickel,
Till I'm on my feet?
Chorus
I'll be owner of this railroad
One of these here days.
I'll be owner of this railroad,
And I swear, your pay I'll raise.
I'll invite you to my mansion,
Feed you on goose and terrapin.
I'll invite you to the racetrack
When my ship comes in.
Chorus
In popular culture
- The melody's start is nearly an exact match to the start of the cello solo (about one minute in) of Franz von SuppéFranz von SuppéFranz von Suppé or Francesco Suppé Demelli was an Austrian composer of light operas who was born in what is now Croatia during the time his father was working in this outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
's "Poet And Peasant" overture, composed in 1846 and well-known in the United States. - There is a striking similarity between the opening line of this song and the first few bars of the old Spanish anthem "Cara al SolCara al SolCara al Sol is the anthem of the Falange party. The lyrics were written in December 1935 and are usually credited to the then leader of the Falange, José Antonio Primo de Rivera. The music was composed by Juan de Tellería and Juan R. Buendia....
". - "The Eyes of TexasThe Eyes of Texas"The Eyes of Texas" is the alma mater of the University of Texas at Austin. It is set to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University sing the song at Longhorn sports games and other events....
", the alma mater of the University of Texas, is played to the tune of this song. - Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's song in "Bishop Danced" includes the line, "There's someone in the kitchen blowin' 'Dinah' on their horn." The song was previously unreleased until 1998, which it was included on Tracks. - In the Band of Brothers episode "The Breaking Point", the Americans were singing this song after capturing the town of Foy, BelgiumFoy, BelgiumFoy is a village in Belgium, near Bastogne.-Battle of the Bulge:In World War II, Foy was occupied by German forces during the Battle of the Bulge. The American 101st Airborne Division held the Bois Jacques just outside of town. After being relieved by George S. Patton's Third Army, the 101st retook...
, just before a German sniper began firing at them. - A version of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" as recorded by Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
appeared on the third disk of the box set of Cash's works called The LegendThe Legend (box set)The Legend is a box set by country singer Johnny Cash, released in 2005 on Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings. It is one of the few multi-disc sets that contain songs recorded throughout Cash's entire career, from 1955 to 2003...
. - In The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode Itchy & Scratchy: The MovieItchy & Scratchy: The Movie"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons fourth season and first aired on November 3, 1992. The plot follows Bart continually getting in trouble, and how Homer is unable to give him any suitable punishment. Marge gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he...
in the final flashforward scene during the screening of the Itchy & Scratchy Movie, when Itchy goes to the school of engineers, can be heard short passage of this song. - In the South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode Elementary School Musical, Stan MarshStan MarshStanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
performs the "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah" section of the song - In the episode Virtuoso of Star Trek Voyager, the Doctor sings the beginning of this song.
- In the movie Kelly's HeroesKelly's HeroesKelly's Heroes is an offbeat 1970 comedy/war film about a group of World War II soldiers who go AWOL to rob a bank behind enemy lines. Directed by Brian G...
, a group of Sherman tanks destroy a German occupied railway station, while playing Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's version of the song, over loudspeakers attached to the tanks. - In the Pound PuppiesPound PuppiesPound Puppies is a toyline sold by Tonka in the 1980s. It later inspired an animated TV special, an animated TV series, and a feature film. Shipments of the toys over five years generated sales of $300 million in 35 countries....
episode Captain and the cats, the evil witch (Katrina Stoneheart) sang it. - The tune is featured in the game Railroad Tycoon III, although it is wholly instrumental in nature.
- In the Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
episode Where Do I BelongWhere Do I Belong"Where Do I Belong" is the 146th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the twelfth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on January 9, 2011.-Plot:...
, Lynette ScavoLynette ScavoLynette Scavo is a fictional character on the series Desperate Housewives. The character is playedby actress Felicity Huffman, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005, and was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series...
is singing it when she plots a revenge against her husband. - In John Hubley's 1959 Oscar-winning animated short MoonbirdMoonbirdMoonbird is a 1959 short animation by John Hubley and Faith Hubley "...in which Two Boys have an Adventure in the Middle of the Night..." as they sneak out and try to catch a Moonbird and bring it home. The film was animated by Robert Cannon and Ed Smith...
two little boys try to set a trap for a bird, in the middle of the night. The younger brother frequently disrupts their efforts, attempting to sing: primarily this song, along with bits of others. Eventually their voices approximate unison--mangling only a few words, at first--until they get bogged down in repetitions of "Dinah, won't you blow," and "Fi, fie, fiddly-i-o." - In season 2, episode 5 of I Love LucyI Love LucyI Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, "The Operetta," Lucy falls back on the railroad tune after she fails to demonstrate singing ability in a more conventional voice exercise. - In The Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
, Leonard, Raj (relying on Howard to sing his part), and Penny sing "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah" as a work tune while making flower barrettes for Penny's business. Penny wakes Sheldon so he can chime in for his turn, but disoriented from lack of sleep, Sheldon finishes off the round with lyrics to Sixteen TonsSixteen Tons"Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year...
. - In 1986 movie Tough GuysTough GuysTough Guys is a 1986 comedy starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach and Dana Carvey. It was directed by Jeff Kanew.Lancaster and Douglas made several films together, including I Walk Alone , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Devil's Disciple , and Seven Days in May , becoming something...
main heroes, Harry Doyle and Archie Long, are singing it when running the hijacked train full throttle to the Mexican border.
Popular in Japan
This song is a very familiar nursery rhyme in Japan, with the same melody but different title and different lyrics. It is known as "" in Japan and it means "The railroad continues forever". The Japanese lyrics describe the happiness of the journey.NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
introduced this version of the song in 1967 in a TV program called "Minna no Uta
Minna no Uta
, literally Everyone's Songs, is a five minute NHK TV and radio program broadcasting several times daily since 1961. The program is generally used as filler at the end of regular television programs...
" (Minna no Uta
Minna no Uta
, literally Everyone's Songs, is a five minute NHK TV and radio program broadcasting several times daily since 1961. The program is generally used as filler at the end of regular television programs...
; Everyone's Songs).
This tune is used at the stations on the Hanshin Electric Railway
Hanshin Electric Railway
is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.The second character for Osaka and the first character for Kobe combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.IC cards are accepted when...
Lines (except Umeda Station and Osaka Namba Station) to announce arriving trains and is similarly used at Okayama Station
Okayama Station
is a railway station located in the ward of Kita-ku, city of Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The station is operated by West Japan Railway Company ....
on the Sanyo Line (for Kamigori and Himeji) and the Ako Line (for Banshu-Ako)
Ako Line
is a railway line of West Japan Railway Company between Aioi, Hyōgo Prefecture to Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. A branch line off the Sanyō Main Line, Akō Line originates at Aioi, runs south of the main line along the Seto Inland Sea, and rejoins the main line at Higashi-Okayama.The entire ...
of West Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
.
External links
- Discussion of "Someone in the Kitchen with Diana" at Mudcat Cafe
- „I've Been Working on the Railroad“ Song on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....