Cannonball Blues

Jerry Garcia recordings

Before The Dead, Jerry Garcia, 2018

Other recordings

As Cannonball
Carter Family, 1924
World Tour with Folk Songs, Addiss and Crofut, 1962
Tuff Sax, Ace Cannon, 1962
Country Songs and Tunes with Autoharp, Kilby Snow, 1969
Single, Seldom Scene, 1972
Act One, Seldom Scene, 1972
Roy Berkeley With Tim Woodbridge, Roy Berkeley, 1977
Sorry But I Can't Take You - Women's Railroad Blues, Various Artists (Nora Lee King), 1980
Best Of Vol. 1, Seldom Scene, 1987
Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson at Folk City, Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson, 1990
Step by Step: Lesley Riddle Meets the Carter Family: Blues, Country and Sacred Songs, Lesley Riddle, 1993
When Roses Bloom In Dixieland: Their Complete Recordings, Vol 3, The Carter Family, 1995
Stories the Crow Told Me, John Cohen, 1998
Step By Step - Lesley Riddle Meets The Carter Family - Blues Country and Sacred Songs, Lesley Riddle, 19??
The Railroad in Folk Song, Various Artists (Delmore Brothers), 19??
Neiman-Marcus First Edition, Various Artists (Delmore Brothers), 19??
The Legendary Carter Family, Carter Family, 19??
In the Shadow of Clinch Mountain, The Carter Family, 2000
The Carter Family: 1927-1934, The Carter Family, 2002

As Cannonball Blues
Single, Bill Clifton and the Dixie Mountain Boys, 1961
Carter Family Memorial Album, Bill Clifton & the Dixie Mountain Boys, 1961
Live At Vanderbilt University, Flatt & Scruggs, 1964
Songs With A Railroad Ring, Various Artists (Flatt & Scruggs), 1965
Shepherd Of The Highways, Mitch Greenhill And His Friends, 1967
Good Though, Utah Phillips, 1968
Sparklin' Bluegrass, Larry Sparks and The Lonesome Ramblers, 1975
In His Prime, 1927-1928), Furry Lewis, 1988
Carter Family Album, Bill Clifton, 1990
1964-1969, Plus, Flatt & Scruggs, 1992
White Country Blues, 1928-36 A Lighter Shade Of Blue, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Frank Hutchison), 1993
Great American Train Songs, Various Artists (Grandpa Jones), 1993
Traditional Bluegrass Instrumentals, The Grass Is Greener, 1995
Nashville At Newport, Various Artists (Maybelle Carter), 1995
Yonder, Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas, 1996
Old-Time Music From West Virginia: 1927-1929, Various Artists (Frank Hutchison), 1997
First Time Live: A Long Time Ago, The Dillards, 1999
Classic Bluegrass, Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, 199?
Shepherd Of The City Blues, Mitch Greenhill, 2000
Around the World to Poor Valley, Bill Clifton, 2001
Neighbor Girl, Cary Fridley, 2001
The Carter Family: 1935-1941, The Carter Family, 2003
American Folk and Country Music Festival, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2003
Blue Grass Roots, Various Artists (Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas), 2003
Smokey Mountain Pickin': 24 Great Bluegrass Instrumentals, Various Artists (Clarence Jackson/James Wall), 2003
Can't You Hear Me Callin': Bluegrass: 80 Years of American Music, Various Artists (Carter Family), 2004
The Best Of Can't You Hear Me Callin': Bluegrass: 80 Years of American Music, Various Artists (Carter Family), 2004
Worried Blues, Frank Hutchison and Kelly Harrell, 2005
Early Recordings 1959, Rodney and Doug Dillard, 2006
Essential Guide to American Roots, Various Artists (Carter Family), 2006
Bluegrass Country Soul (Ltd Ed), Various Artists, 2020

As Solid Gone
Tom Rush, Tom Rush, Tom Rush, 196?
Down South, Doc and Merle Watson, 1984
Mountain Blues, Various Artists (Frank Hutchison), 19??
The Original Carter Family From 1936: Radio Transcripts, The Carter Family, 19??

Notes

Played by the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers in San Carlos on June 11th 1962. Also played by Garcia and David Nelson at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo on November 10th 1962.

The song is sometimes called The Cannonball. Also sometimes called Solid Gone from the repetition of this phrase in the chorus. Possibly also called Hobo Blues.

Recorded by the Carter Family on May 30th 1924. They had heard the song performed by an itinerant singer/guitarist Lesley Riddle.

The lyrics of the version performed by the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers are as follows;

Wash (all?) my shirt and my dirty overall,
I'm riding on the train that they call the Cannonball,
Honey, babe, I'm leaving you.

See that train, it's coming down the track,
Taking me away but it ain't bringing me back,
Now I'm gone, I'm solid gone.

Goin' up north I'm goin' to go next fall,
My luck don't change I won't be back at all,
(And now babe?) I'm leaving you.

My baby left me she even took my shoes,
Ain't got nothing but them dirty no good blues,
Now she's gone, she's solid gone.

See that train coming down the track,
It's taking me but it ain't a'bringing me back,
Now I'm gone, solid gone.