The makeup of the group changed over the years, as some members were drafted during the war and new members were brought in to replace those who had retired or left to join other groups. William Langford joined the group when Griffin left in 1935 and Orlandus Wilson replaced Ford the same year. Clyde Riddick replaced Langford in 1938, Johnson left in 1948 to join "The Jubalaires" and Owens left the group later to become a preacher and solo artist. Riddick remained with the group until his retirement in 1995 and Wilson until his death in 1998.
The Gates had a broad repertoire of styles--from Owens' mournful, understated approach in songs such as Anyhow or Hush, Somebody's Calling My Name, to the group's highly syncopated arrangements in Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo. Like The Mills Brothers of popular music, they would often include vocal special effects in their songs, imitating train sounds in songs such as Golden Gate Gospel Train. Langford often sang lead, using his ability to range from baritone to falsetto, while Johnson narrated in a hip syncopated style that became the hallmark for the group. Wilson's bass served as the anchor for the group and Owens harmonized with Langford and Johnson.
They achieved regional fame through their radio program in Columbia, South Carolina in the 1930s. They became nationally popular after John Hammond presented them as part of the 1938 extravaganza From Spirituals to Swing in Carnegie Hall, which led to a nationwide radio program, appearances at Cafe Society in 1940 and the opportunity to sing at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's inauguration in 1941, becoming the first black musical group to sing at Constitution Hall. They continued to be popular during World War Two, making several appearances in Hollywood films and singing secular music, including some unique popular front songs such as Stalin Wasn't Stalling that mixed humor with political commentary.
The quartet lost their preeminent position in gospel music after the war, when they faced competition from the newer hard gospel quartets. They continued in their old style, offering sharper political commentary in songs such as God's Gonna Cut 'Em Down, but losing much of their audience to quartets such as the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Soul Stirrers. The Golden Gates revived their career in 1955, however, when they toured Europe for the first time, where they became widely popular. The group moved to Paris in 1959 and has continued touring, primarily in Europe, since then. During his stint in the US Army, in Germany, Elvis Presley, who a huge admirer of their work since his early childhood, visited them backstage at "Le Lido", in Paris, and stayed to watch their entire show, staying also with them at the hotel "Prince de Galles".
The Golden Gate Quartet has been inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998
Rock Island Line
Golden Gate Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well the Rock Island Line she runs down into New Orleans
There's a big tollgate down there and you know
If you got certain things on board when you go through the tollgate
Well you don't have to pay the man no toll
Well a train driver he pulled up to the tollgate
And a man hollered and asked him what all he had on board and said
I got mules I got all livestock
Well he said you're all right boy you don't have to pay no toll
You can just go right on through so he went on through the toolgate
And as he went through he started pickin' up a little bit of speed
Pickin' up a little bit of steam
He got on through he turned and looked back at the man he said
Well I fooled you I fooled you I got pigiron I got pigiron I got old
Pig iron
Down the Rock Island Line she's a mighty good road
Rock Island Line it's a road to ride
Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it like you finally get your ticket
At the station for the Rock Island Line
Looked cloudy in the west and it looked like rain
Round the curve came a passenger train
North bound train on the southbound track
He's alright a leavin' but he won't be back
Well the Rock Island Line she's a mighty good road
Rock Island Line it's a road to ride
Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it
Like you finally get your ticket
At the station for the Rock Island Line
Oh I may be right and I may be wrong
But you gonna miss me when I'm gone
Well the engineer said before he died
There were two more drinks that he'd like to try
The conductor said what could they be
A hot cup of coffee and a cold glass of tea
Well the Rock Island Line she's a mighty good road
Rock Island Line it's a road to ride
Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it
Like you finally get your ticket
At the station for the Rock Island Line
The Golden Gate Quartet's "Rock Island Line" is a song about the trials and tribulations of working on the railroad. The singer tells the story of the Rock Island Line, a train that runs down to New Orleans. The song's verses talk about the tollgate on this line, which the train driver can bypass if he has certain contraband onboard. The song then jumps to a different train that is headed in the wrong direction and won't be coming back.
The song's chorus talks about how good of a road the Rock Island Line is and how you have to ride it like you're finally getting your ticket at the station. The last verse has the engineer and conductor discussing their last drinks before they die. In many ways, "Rock Island Line" is a tribute to the railroad workers of the past and a celebration of the hard work they did to keep the trains running on time.
Line by Line Meaning
Now this here's a story about the Rock Island Line
Let me tell you a tale about a famous railroad
Well the Rock Island Line she runs down into New Orleans
This railway runs all the way down to New Orleans
There's a big tollgate down there and you know
There's a toll station there, and you know what that means
If you got certain things on board when you go through the tollgate
If you've got certain cargo onboard when you pass the toll station
Well you don't have to pay the man no toll
You can skip paying the toll
Well a train driver he pulled up to the tollgate
Once, a conductor stopped at the toll station
And a man hollered and asked him what all he had on board and said
Someone shouted and asked what kind of cargo he was carrying
I got livestock I got livestock I got cows I got pigs I got sheep
The conductor replied that he had lots of animals on board
I got mules I got all livestock
He also had mules and other livestock
Well he said you're all right boy you don't have to pay no toll
The toll station worker let him pass for free
You can just go right on through so he went on through the toolgate
So, the conductor continued on his journey through the toll station
And as he went through he started pickin' up a little bit of speed
Once he passed the station, he started to speed up
Pickin' up a little bit of steam
The train began to move faster
He got on through he turned and looked back at the man he said
Once he cleared the station, he looked back and said
Well I fooled you I fooled you I got pigiron I got pigiron I got old Pig iron
Ha! I tricked you, I don't have any live animals, just heavy pig iron
Down the Rock Island Line she's a mighty good road
This is a great railroad
Rock Island Line it's a road to ride
It's a fun and exciting journey to take
Well if you ride you got to ride it like you finally get your ticket At the station for the Rock Island Line
If you're riding, you gotta give it your all, like you're racing to make your connecting train
Looked cloudy in the west and it looked like rain
The weather was turning bad
Round the curve came a passenger train
Suddenly, a train coming from the opposite direction appeared around the bend
North bound train on the southbound track He's alright a leavin' but he won't be back
The train was headed the wrong way and wouldn't return
Oh I may be right and I may be wrong But you gonna miss me when I'm gone
I might not be perfect, but you'll regret it when I'm not around
Well the engineer said before he died There were two more drinks that he'd like to try
Before he passed away, the engineer said he wanted two final drinks
The conductor said what could they be A hot cup of coffee and a cold glass of tea
The conductor asked what drinks he wanted, and the engineer requested coffee and tea
Well the Rock Island Line she's a mighty good road
Once again, it's emphasized how great this railroad is
Rock Island Line it's a road to ride
It's enjoyable to take this journey
Well if you ride you got to ride it like you finally get your ticket At the station for the Rock Island Line
If you're going to ride, do it with gusto, as if you're racing to catch your connection at the station for this railroad
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, T.R.O. INC.
Written by: HUDDIE LEDBETTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind