Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
said, "Steve you're way behind time.
This is not Thirty-Eight; this is old Ninety-Seven,
so put her into Spencer on time."
Then he turned and said to his black, greasy fireman
"Shovel on a little more coal
and when we cross that White Oak Mountain,
watch old Ninety-Seven roll"
And then the telegram came from Washington station
and this is how it read:
"Oh that brave engineer that ran old Ninety-Seven
is lying in old Danville dead"
'Cause he was going down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour
when the whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle,
scalded to d**h by the steam
Now all you ladies you better take warnin'
from this time on and learn
Never speak harsh words to a true lovin' husband
he may leave you and never return
'board 'board
Yodel-ay-hee hee hee hee hee hee