The band has recorded many albums of instrumental Irish folk music, as well as multiple collaborations with popular musicians of many genres, including Country music, Galician traditional music, Cape Breton and Newfoundland music, and rock and roll. They have performed with Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Roger Daltrey, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, James Galway, Jackson Browne, Nancy Griffith and numerous Country-western artists. In 1975, the group won praise for their playing of "Women of Ireland" for Stanley Kubrick's movie Barry Lyndon.
They have won six Grammy Awards and have been nominated eighteen times. In 2002 they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK's BBC Radio 2. The front covers of the first four albums were designed by Edward Delaney.
Paddy Moloney is the band's leader, and composes or arranges most of the band's music. While the band's members changed numerous times in the band's early history, the membership solidified in 1979 when Matt Molloy replaced Michael Tubridy.
From then until 2002, members included:
Paddy Moloney (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, button accordion, bodhrán)
Matt Molloy (flute, tin whistle)
Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals)
Seán Keane (fiddle, tin whistle)
Martin Fay (fiddle, bones) (born 1938; died 14 November 2012)
Derek Bell (Irish harp, keyboard instruments, oboe) (born 21 October 1935; died 17 October 2002)
In 2002, Fay retired from active membership. In the same year, Bell died due to complications following a minor operation. Fay died on 14 November 2012.
Wabash Cannonball
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wide Pacific shore
To the queen of the flowing mountains
To the southbell by the door
She's long and tall and handsome
And loved by one and all
She's a modern combination
Called the Wabash Cannonball
Oh listen to the jingle
The rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodlands
Through the hills and by the shores
Hear the mighty rush of engines
Hear the lonsome hobos' call
We're travelling through the jungles
On the Wabash Cannonball
The eastern states are dandies
So the western people say
From New York to St. Louis
And Chicago by the way
Through the hills of Minnesota
Where the rippling waters fall
No chances can be taken
On the Wabash Cannonball
Oh listen to the jingle
The rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodlands
Through the hills and by the shores
Hear the mighty rush of engines
Hear the lonsome hobos' call
We're travelling through the jungles
On the Wabash Cannonball
Here's to Daddy Klaxton
May his name forever stand
Will he be remembered
Through parts of all our land
His earthly race is over
And the curtain 'round him falls
We'll carry him on to victory
On the Wabash Cannonball
Oh listen to the jingle
The rumble and the roar
As she glides along the woodlands
Through the hills and by the shores
Hear the mighty rush of engines
Hear the lonsome hobos' call
We're travelling through the jungles
On the Wabash Cannonball
The Chieftains’ song “Wabash Cannonball” transports the listener to the frontier-era United States, a time when the nation was connected by the railroad. The song is a tribute to the Wabash Cannonball train, which was known for being fast and reliable. It speaks to the pride felt by those who rode the rails and celebrated the technology that allowed them to cross the vast American terrain with speed and safety.
The opening lines of the song illustrate the vastness of the country, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The “queen of the flowing mountains” is a nod to the majestic Appalachian Mountains, which served as the gateway to the West. The Wabash Cannonball is then described as “long and tall and handsome,” and loved by all. The song celebrates the train’s power and efficiency, with the lyrics “hear the mighty rush of engines, hear the lonesome hobos’ call.” The train is personified as a powerful force, cutting through the landscape and binding the nation together.
The final verses of the song pay tribute to an individual known as Daddy Klaxton, whose name should “forever stand.” He is remembered as someone who had a significant impact on those around him, and his legacy is carried on by the Wabash Cannonball. The song ends with a final embrace of the train, as the lyrics declare “We’ll carry him on to victory on the Wabash Cannonball.”
Line by Line Meaning
I stood on the Atlantic Ocean
I have stood on the eastern coast of the USA.
The wide Pacific shore
I have also stood on the western coast of the USA.
To the queen of the flowing mountains
I have been to the Appalachian Mountain range which runs through much of the eastern USA.
To the southbell by the door
I have been to the southern USA and heard the sound of a church bell.
She's long and tall and handsome
The Wabash Cannonball train is an impressive sight to see.
And loved by one and all
Everyone who sees the train is impressed by its size and power.
She's a modern combination
The Wabash Cannonball is a modern and advanced train.
Called the Wabash Cannonball
This train is specifically named the Wabash Cannonball.
Oh listen to the jingle
Listen to the sound of the train's bells.
The rumble and the roar
Hear the sound of the train's engine and wheels as it goes down the tracks.
As she glides along the woodlands
The train passes through wooded areas.
Through the hills and by the shores
The train also passes through hilly terrain and by bodies of water.
Hear the mighty rush of engines
Hear the powerful sound of the train's engines.
Hear the lonesome hobos' call
The song references the sound of train-hopping hobos who ride the rails illegally.
We're travelling through the jungles
The train goes through dense, forested areas that are sometimes referred to as 'jungles'.
The eastern states are dandies
The eastern part of the USA is considered by some to be elegant or classy ('dandy' is an older term for fashionable).
So the western people say
This is a common opinion among people who live in the western part of the USA.
From New York to St. Louis
The train route passes through these two major American cities.
And Chicago by the way
Chicago is also a major city on the train route.
Through the hills of Minnesota
The train goes through hilly terrain in the state of Minnesota.
Where the rippling waters fall
The train passes by bodies of water where the current creates a ripple effect.
No chances can be taken
The train must be operated with extreme caution to avoid any accidents.
On the Wabash Cannonball
This train route is specifically for the Wabash Cannonball train.
Here's to Daddy Klaxton
This line is a tribute to a man named Daddy Klaxton.
May his name forever stand
This is a wish that Daddy Klaxton's legacy will be remembered for a long time.
Will he be remembered
The singer is questioning whether or not Daddy Klaxton will be remembered.
Through parts of all our land
The hope is that Daddy Klaxton will be remembered all across the USA.
His earthly race is over
Daddy Klaxton has passed away.
And the curtain 'round him falls
This line is a metaphor for the end of Daddy Klaxton's life.
We'll carry him on to victory
The singer is saying that Daddy Klaxton will be remembered and keeps his spirit alive.
On the Wabash Cannonball
The train is being used as a symbol for carrying Daddy Klaxton's memory forward.
Contributed by Kylie V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist