In the heat of the day down in Mobil Alabama
I was working on the railroad with a steel drivin' hammer
Trying to get some money buy a pair of new shoes
Trying to get a woman chase away my blues
Hot head wasted all sweating in the son
I won't see a woman till my work is all done

Maybe in the evening when the sun is sinking low
I'll be out waiting for my whistle to blow
Sitting in my teepee smoking out on the track
Jiving and singing till my foreman gets back
Suddenly I hear the brakeman up and shout
"There's a non stop train comin' two miles out"

Everybody's jumping and spinnin around
Trying to get a line and get the teepee down
Railroad owners 'bout to go insane
Trying to get the workers out of the way of the train
Here comes the engineer honkity honk
He's got a train he's gotta let it roll let it rock