The Wreck of the Old 97 lyrics

Well they gave him his orders in Monroe, Virginia

Sayin', "Steve you're a way behind time

This is not 38, but it's old 97

You must put her into Spencer on time!"

Well he turned to the black, greasy fireman and said,

"Just shovel on a little more coal,

And when we cross that wide open mountain

You can watch old 97 roll!"

It's a long, long way from Danville to Lynchburg

On a the line, there's a three-mile grade

It was on that grade that he lost his airbrakes

You can see what a jump that he made.

He was going down grade doing 90 miles an hour

When the whistle broke into a scream

He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle

And scalded to death by the steam

Well a telegram came to Washington Station

And this is what it read:

Oh that brave engineer that runs old 97

Will be lying in old Danville, dead.

Now come all you ladies, and from me take warning

And from this day on you must learn

Never speak harsh words to your kind-hearted husband

He may leave you, and never return