Wreck of the Old 97
They gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time
This is not 38, this is Old 97
You must put her into Spencer on time"
He turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman
"Shovel on a little more coal
And when we cross that White Oak Mountain,
Watch Old 97 roll"
And then a telegram come to Washington Station
This is how it read:
It said: "That brave engineer that has run Old 97
Is lyin' down in Danville, dead"
He was going down a grade making 90 miles an hour
When a whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
Scalded to death by the steam
So now, all you pretty ladies, you'd better take a warning
From this time on and learn
Don't you speak hard words to your true-lovin' husband
He may leave you and never return
