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Yep - the KT

Posted by Lewis on March 20, 2006

In Reply to: She took the KT? posted by Brian from Shawnee on March 16, 2006

: : : : : : : I have been listening to a song by Taj Mahal...the title is "She took the katy, left me a mule to ride.? I have surmised that katy must be some kind of transportation, but am not really sure of that. Some/any enlightenment in this regard would be appreciated.

: : : : : : googled the lyrics, and found a footmote:

: : : : : : She caught the Katy1, and left me a mule2 to ride
: : : : : : She caught the Katy, and left me a mule to ride
: : : : : : My baby caught the Katy, left me a mule to ride
: : : : : : The train pulled out, and I swung on behind
: : : : : : I'm crazy 'bout her, that hardheaded woman of mine

: : : : : : Man my baby's long, great god she's mighty, she's tall
: : : : : : You know my baby's long, great god she's mighty, my baby she's tall
: : : : : : Well my baby she's long, my baby she's tall
: : : : : : She sleeps with her head in the kitchen and her big feet out in the hall
: : : : : : And I'm still crazy 'bout her, that hardheaded woman of mine

: : : : : : Well I love my baby, she's so fine%

: : isn't the "Katy" actually the K.T.?

: : L

: Nope, it's the Katy, short for M-K-T, or Missouri, Kansas, and Texas. Railroads in the U.S. seem to be prone to acquiring nicknames, probably because their official names consist of a boring list of geographical locations. Sometimes the nickname is just shortened from the official name, like calling the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe the "Santa Fe". Examples of catchier names are the Susie Q (New York, Susquehanna & Western) and the Chessie (Chesapeake & Ohio, John Henry's railroad).

I had always assumed that the "Katy" was an abbreviation for K-T, which it is. It's not my fault that there is a silent M- before it! I was going on hearing the lyrics rather than seeing them.

M-K-T is now officially registered in my memory for next time I hear the song.

L

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