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Perry Finelli
St. Paul, Minn.

Johnny Cash's 'Wabash Cannonball' is today's music

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Today's music is inspired by President Barack Obama's visit to St. Paul's Union Depot today.

"Wabash Cannonball" is an old folk song covered by Johnny Cash, who would have turned 82 today. The tune is the oldest song on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll."

The traditional version of this song includes a line about the "Lakes of Minnesota," but it's unlikely that the train ever visited St. Paul. By all accounts, the Wabash Cannonball is a fictional train.