Artist: Riley Puckett
Author: traditional
Label: Columbia
Year: 1924
With Gid Tanner. Melodically related to the English children song Dirty Bill (From Vinegar Hill).
Covers:
Martha Copeland [as Hobo Bill; first black artist to record it]
Will Bennett [as an old man; contemporary of the real legend and celebrating Bill's independence: "He never worked and he never will, Ride Bill, ride"; his lyrics mention the World Fair in St. Louis in 1904, illustrating the age of some of his verses (and his own age)]
Bob Dylan [on Bootleg Series Vol 10 and also on Minnesota Hotel Tapes ('61)]
This is a real story. There once was a Railroad Bill, his name was Morris Slater. Worked as a day laborer in the harsh terpentine plantations in the south Alabama woods. In 1893 he killed a policeman and escaped by jumping on a train. From then on he ambushed the L&N line with raids and murders. In 1895 he shot a sheriff (but he didn't shoot no deputy). Another two years later he was captured and executed. Officials had to carry his dead body from town to town to prove he passed. The stuff where legends are made of.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)