Wabash Cannonball " The Wabash Cannonball " is an American folk song about a fictional train , thought to have originated in the late nineteenth century . Its first documented appearance was on sheet music published in 1882 , titled " The Great Rock Island Route " and credited to J . A . Roff . All subsequent versions contain a variation of the chorus : A rewritten version by William Kindt appeared in 1904 under the title " Wabash Cannon Ball " . The Carter Family made one of the first recordings of the song in 1929 , though it was not released until 1932 . Another popular version was recorded by Roy Acuff in 1936 . The Acuff version is one of the fewer than forty all - time singles to have sold 10 million ( or more ) physical copies worldwide . It is a signature song of the Indiana State University Marching Sycamores and the Purdue All - American Marching Band as the ISU and Purdue campuses are near the Wabash River . It is also associated with the Stephen F . Austin State University Lumberjack Marching Band , the Kansas State University Marching Band , and the University of Texas Longhorn Band . It was also used as the theme song by the . History . In addition to The Carter Family ' s 1929 recording and Roy Acuff ' s 1936 recording , many hillbilly artists recorded " The Wabash Cannonball " during the Great Depression era of the 1930s and 1940s , and the song was also recorded by Piedmont Blues legend Blind Willie McTell . Bing Crosby recorded the song for his album " Bing Crosby Sings The Great Country Hits " . The song increased in popularity during this time . Origins . There are many theories of the origin of " The Wabash Cannonball " . Utah Phillips states that hobos imagined a mythical train called the " Wabash Cannonball " which was a " death coach " that appeared at the death of a hobo to carry his soul to its reward . The song was then created , with the lyrics and music telling the story of the train . Another theory states that the song is based on a tall tale in which Cal S . Bunyan , Paul Bunyan ' s brother , constructed a railroad known as the Ireland , Jerusalem , Australia n & Southern Michigan Line . After two months of service , the 700 - car train was traveling so fast that it arrived at its destination an hour before its departure . Finally , the train took off so fast that it rushed in to outer space , and for all is known , it is still traveling through space . When the hobos learned of this train , they called her the " Wabash Cannonball " and said that every station in America had heard her whistle . Namesakes . In the wake of the song ' s popularity , the Wabash Railroad renamed its daytime express run between Detroit and St . Louis as the " Wabash Cannon Ball " in 1949 , the only actual train to bear the name , which it carried until discontinued in 1971 . However , the train was named after the song , not the other way around . A roller coaster at the now - defunct Opryland USA theme park was titled after the song as well . It was operated from 1975 to 1997 . In 1998 , after Opryland ' s closing , the double cork - screw coaster was relocated to Old Indiana Fun - n - Water Park ( Thorntown , Indiana , USA ) . In 2003 , it was moved into storage . The coaster specs : Length 1200 ft , Height 70 ft , Speed 50 mph , with double cork - screw style inversions . Lyrics . The lyrics as performed by The Carter Family in their 1929 recording : Verse : Verse : Chorus : Verse : Verse : Chorus : Another verse Variations . Many variations of the lyrics exist , including : Use in Collegiate Sports . The Wabash Cannonball ( arranged by Joel Leach ) is known as the unofficial " second " fight song of Kansas State University , having been played since the late 1960s . It was the only piece of sheet music rescued from the KSU music department in the Nichols Hall fire of 1968 , and grew in popularity with students and fans . The Kansas State University Marching Band says that " the Wabash Cannonball has come to represent the survival of the underdog in the hearts and minds of all true K - State fans , and has earned a secure place in the KSUMB ' s history and traditions . " Currently Kansas State is the prime contributing player of the song and most noted with Big 12 fans and spectators . Fans rock back and forth to the song while its played . The University of Texas Longhorn Band plays the song at the beginning of every fourth quarter during football season . The tradition began when Texas was in the Southwest Conference and Kansas State University was in the Big 8 Conference . Texas band director Vincent R . DiNino once asked football coach Darrell K . Royal if he had any songs he would like to hear the Longhorn Band play . His response was that they didn ' t play enough country music and that he would like to hear Wabash Cannonball . ' Band rivalry ' has developed since both schools joined the Big 12 Conference . At Stephen F . Austin State University , the Twirl - O - Jacks traditionally perform to the tune as played by the Lumberjack Marching Band at the beginning of each football game . The band has also been known to play excerpts from the song during various sporting events . Jukebox Cannonball . In 1951 , Jesse Rogers adapted " Wabash Cannonball " into " Jukebox Cannonball " by retaining the original melody but replacing it with a new set of lyrics . Many recordings of this song were made in the early 1950s , primarily by artists from the New York - Pennsylvania region , including Rogers himself , Ray Whitley , and Rex Zario . Bill Haley and The Saddlemen ( later known as The Comets ) also had a minor hit with the song in 1952 , which was considered an early example of rockabilly . Haley re - recorded the song in 1979 . Big Wheel Cannonball . A version recorded by truckin ' music / country star Dick Curless is an ode to truckers . The first verse is : " This proud and mighty nation will sing forever more of pioneers , brave engineers , and heroes by the score but the world of transportation has its own breed just as great they ' re the men of steel behind the wheel of the big rigs hauling freight " Tennessee Ernie Ford . In the third season ( 1952 – 53 ) of " I Love Lucy " , Ernie Ford sang a rendition of the song in the episodes " Tennessee Ernie Visits " and " Tennessee Ernie Hangs On " . The Moody Brothers . The Wabash Cannonball is among several classic train songs featured in The Moody Brothers Grammy nominated instrumental " The Great Train Song Medley . " Lonnie Donegan . Lonnie Donegan recorded a version of the song for his 1956 album , " Lonnie Donegan Showcase " . Robert Fripp & The League Of Crafty Guitarists . An arrangement of " Wabash Cannonball " was recorded by Robert Fripp & The League Of Crafty Guitarists on their album " Intergalactic Boogie Express : Live in Europe " . Woody Guthrie . The Dustbowl Balladeer ' s " Grand Coulee Dam " — one of several songs he wrote about the largest concrete structure in the United States — is a rework of the " Wabash Cannonball " . Chorus : " She " is the Columbia River . The song is really an ode to the river as much as the dam - rather like the way some popular versions of the " Wabash Cannonball " seem to be as much about that tall glamorous girl from Tennessee , as about the train . Guthrie also composed another song — " Farmer - Labor Train " — with the same melody . Dizzy Dean . Dizzy Dean , who had been a talented , colorful pitcher for the St . Louis Cardinals and other teams , and had been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame , often sang verses of the song on the Major League Baseball Game of the Week in the 1950s and early 1960s . Doc Watson . The legendary Bluegrass guitarist Doc Watson and his son Merle included a rhapsodic version of " The Wabash Cannon Ball " on the live album " Doc Watson on Stage " in 1982 , reissued on CD in 1990 . Chuck Mead . Chuck Mead covered this song on his 2012 album , " Back at the Quonset Hut "