[2] The melody of the opening line of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" may have been inspired by the very similar melody at the beginning of the cello solo, about one minute into Franz von Suppé's 1846 Poet and Peasant overture.

[3] The verses that generally constitute the modern version of the song are:[4] The 1894 version includes one verse very much like the modern song, though in Minstrel dialect, with an intro that is no longer sung and a very different second verse:[5][6] The "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah" section, with its noticeably different melody, is actually an older song that has been absorbed by "I've Been Working on the Railroad".

[9] According to the liner notes to Pete Seeger's Children's Concert at Town Hall (1963), the "Dinah won't you blow" section is a more modern addition, contributed to the song by "some college students".

[10] One extant verse that has been recorded in prominent sources follows the "Singin' fee, fie, fiddly-i-o" verse: In another version of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" that is printed in "The Family Car Songbook", researched and edited by Tam Mossman, the song continues as follows: "The Eyes of Texas" is the spirit song of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at El Paso.

Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the university sing the song at Longhorn sports games and other events.