In the heat of the day, down in Mobile, Alabama
Workin' on the railroad with a steel-drivin' hammer
Tryin' to get some money, get some brand new shoes
Tryin' to find a lady, chase away my blues
Hot and wasted lord sweatin' in the sun
'Cause I'm not a foreman till my work is all done
Later in the evening when the sun is sinking low
Ill be out there waitin' for the whistle to blow
Sittin' in the teepee smokin' out on the track
Rollin' them bones (meaning dice) 'til my foreman get back
Suddenly I hear the breakman up and shout
There's a non-stop train comin' two miles out
Everybody jumpin' and a scrambling around
Tryin' to get the line an get the teepee down
Railroad owners bout to go insane
Tryin' to get the workers out the way of the train
Here come the engineer honk his horn
He got a non-stop train, we got to let it roll on!