Railroad Bill

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

Played by Jerry Garcia with an unnamed bluegrass band in Burlingame in January 1962. Thanks to Matt Schofield for the lyrics.

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He don't work and he never will
He'll just ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill he ain't so bad
Killed his ma, shot a round at his dad
And I'll ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill coming home soon
Killed (McMillan?) by the light of the moon
And I'll ride, ride, ride

[Mistress McMillan she whooped out?]
[Don't ask my husband cause I heard him fall?]
And I'll ride, ride, ride

I went down on old number one
Railroad Bill he had just begun
And I'll ride, ride, ride

I went down on old number two
Railroad Bill he was almost through
And I'll ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill coming down the hill
Lighting a cigar with a ten dollar bill
And I'll ride, ride, ride

He killed a chicken, sent me a wing
[Thinks I don't work, cause I ain't doing a thing?]
And I'll ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He don't work and he never will
He'll just ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill, he ain't so bad
Shot the midnight [lantern] after breaking the [tank]
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill coming down that hill
Light his cigars with them twenty dollar bills
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He ain't never worked and he never will
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, he ain't so bad
Shot his mom the he beat on his dad
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He ain't never worked and he never will
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, he ain't so bad
But he shot [?] after breaking [?]
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He ain't never worked and he never will
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, sine he was a child
He get candy from anybody with his smile
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill coming down that hill
Light his cigars with them twenty dollar bills
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, you can hear him shout
You'd know when he was in town and what it was all about
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He ain't never worked and he never will
Ride, Railroad Bill

Holler, shout, jump if you might
When the man came to town that everybody's such a fright
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill shot him down
Buried him in front of the jailhouse, right there in the town
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill shot him down
Buried him in front of the jailhouse, right there in the town
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He ain't never worked and he never will
Ride, Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill
He ain't never worked and he never will
Ride, Railroad Bill