Songs About the Wabash River

5 songs reference the Wabash River · 996 miles · Rivers & Waterways.

The Wabash River, a prominent waterway in the American Midwest, flows approximately 500 miles from its headwaters in western Ohio, across Indiana, and then forms a 200-mile boundary between Indiana and Illinois before joining the Ohio River. Its name, derived from the Miami tribe's "Wah-bah-shik-ki," means "water flowing over white stones." The Wabash holds significant cultural importance, serving as a vital trade route for French explorers and Native American tribes in the 17th and 18th centuries, and later becoming Indiana's state river in 1996.

This rich history and natural beauty have inspired numerous songs. Our collection features tunes like "If It Wasn’t For The Wabash River" by Johnny Cash and "Wabash Cannon Ball (1947)" by Roy Acuff, reflecting the river's enduring presence in American music.

The river as RoadyGoat maps it; pins mark songs placed along it.

The Songs

If It Wasn’t For The Wabash River
Johnny Cash · IN
“If it wasn’t for the Wabash River”
24%
Wabash Cannon Ball (1947)
“Called the Wabash Cannonball”
17%
To The Shining Mountains
“See the Cumberland, the Wabash”
5%
American Rivers
Tom Russell · IN
“And the Wabash and the Hudson and the brave Rio Grande”
3%
Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes
George Jones · IN
“And the Wabash Cannonball”
2%

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