Traditional American Folk - The Wreck of the Old '97 lyrics

Well they gave him his orders at Monroe Virginia Saying Steve you're way behind time This is not 38 but it's old 97 You must put her into Spencer on time Well he turned around and said to his fireman Shovel in a little more coal And when we cross this big White Mountain We'll watch old 97 roll [Dobro bridge] It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville And a line on a three mile grade It's on that grade that he lost his airbrakes You see what a jump he made They were goin' down the grade makin' 90 mile an hour When his whistle broke into a scream He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle A-scalded to d**h by the steam [Fiddle bridge] Then the telegram come to Washington city And this is how it read The brave engineer that run old 97 He's a laying in old Danville dead Now all you ladies we take a warning From this time now and learn Never speak harsh words to your true loving husband